[ljokerl]

Quote:

do you think eph-100 would not get messy with warm and dark player like samsung p3? can you compare for me ne700x and ex85 to eph-100? i mean darkness/warmness of them.

 
 
Should be fine. I do not have any of these earphone anymore so I can't provide a good set of comparisons. They are all on the warm side but I don't find the EPH-100 to be particularly dark. 
 
 
 
Quote:

I am looking for iems around 40 with good bass for rap and rock and nice mids and highs also build quality case and foam tips but the case or foam tips are not deciding factors just nice to have
I was between the
Dunu trident
Brainwavs m5
Vsonics gr02 be
Vsonics vco2
Rha ma 350
Astrotec am90
Soundmagic e10

 
The VC02 is really not a bassy earphone so probably not what you're looking for. The E10 or GR02 BE would sound good with a variety of genres and have solid bass without being overwhelmingly bassy.
 
Quote:

Hello again !
What according to you is the ideal source for the Miracle. I have a DX100 and it sounds great with the Miracle, but I am considering amps. So far I tried Glacier, RSA 71A, Triad L3 and Continental V3 and they were all good, but no wow for me. Any ideas ? I was thinking maybe Portaphile 627
 
Thanks

 
I don't have any experience with any of those amps. I've tried the Miracle out of the DX100 and liked it, but I think any neutral source will do just fine. 
 
Quote:

Hi Joker,
 
Apart Grado itself, can you recommend in-ear phones with similar sound at price range of under $250. Cheaper the better, I'm looking for SR60 performance/$.

 
I'm not familiar with the higher-end Grado IEMs so I can't say if it's a worse or better choice but I'd consider the Sony EX600 and Fischer Audio SBA-03/MEElec A161 at the low end of that price range. These tend to have pretty solid bass but can't be called warm or bassy and have strong midrange presence, much like an SR60. 
 
Quote:

Hi joker,
First of all i'd like to thank you for putting in your time and effort into this thread. I really appreciate it and know many others do too!
 
Secondly, i have a question about my current GR07s.
Are there any contenders at a similar price range to the GR07s? I'm having trouble finding any that equal/best its sound quality. If it's any help, the genres i listen to are composed of mainly vocals (Asian pop) and instruments (classical)

 
Sure - there's a few of the TWFK-based sets such as the Brainwavz B2/Fischer DBA-02 mkII/Rock-It R-50. There's also the HiFiMan RE272 now available for <$200, at least in the US. They rival or better the GR07, depending on your preferred signature. There are also many other models that may not be as good as the GR07 to me but might work better for you. 

 

[canikickit1]

Would you deem the gr01 or er4p an upgrade from hf5s? I currently have a CMoyBB amp and the hf5 set up is pretty good. I was looking to see if any iem would be considered an upgrade. I tried the gr07 but didn't like the sound leakage and the over the ear application .

Any upgrades you would suggest to the hf5 in terms of non-leakage and wire down use? $250 max. Any different sound sig is appreciated.

AWESOME reviews btw.

 

[psion84]

Quote:

Hi Joker, really hope Compact Monitors especially the Stage 3 and Stage 4 will be reviewed. The Stage 3 sounds amazing to me and I'm so tempted over it! Wondering why not really many talk about this brand whereas it is amazing to me

+1. had the chance to audit the stage 3 with the JH13s and JH16s (Freqphase). simply preferred the stage 3. sounds so musical and engaging. wish more were said bout these. great tuning by compact. saving up for these at the moment.

 

[nehcrow]

Hey joker! 
Wondering if you've heard the XBA-3 yet and how would you compare them to the XBA-4?

 

[phantompersona]

I smell a VC02 review coming out soon 

 

[bowlofsoup]

This is a pretty general question, but of these iems, which would work best for someone who listens to a lot of metal? I don't really have a preferred sound, but I do like the way my brainwavz HM3's sound.

Gr06
Am90
Brainwavz M2
Anything you would recommend under $100

 

[-sandro-]

Anyone knows if the VSonic r04 sounds like the GR04 Flagship?

 

[gnarlee]

@joker vsonic gro2 be vs brainwavs m5 vs klipsch s4 i mostly listen to rap and want build quality

 

[ktan3142]

So as to not clog up the forums, does anyone know of a direct upgrade to the RE-ZERO in terms of sound signature? I returned the RE-262 I got recently due to not enough isolation, so now I have funds to upgrade (I tip-rolled like crazy and cannot get enough isolation without compromising the mids). Here's what I'm looking at and what I'm worried about for each:
 

1. TDK BA200 - flat cables are annoying, and the shape looks like the RE-262, so I'm afraid for bad isolation/fit 
2. GR07 - I heard these isolate less than the BA200, but seems to be the sound I'm looking for
3. Brainwavz B2 - so-so build quality
4. Rockit Sounds R-50 - so-so build quality and memory/hard wire (I hate it)
5. Astrotec AX-7 - seems to be the best build quality of the bunch, but not enough reviews to become informed

 
I am looking for an RE-ZERO with slightly more subbass and wider soundstage (everything else seems perfect) - mainly at the GR07 and BA200. Yet, if the R-50 is closer to my ideal sound sig and its build quality not as bad as I make it out to be, then I'll get it. If neither of these are "upgrades," then I'll just stick to my RE-ZERO since I love it to death.
 
Thanks in advance
 
EDIT: I liked the RE-ZERO's sound sig much more than the RE-262.

 

[awtryau89]

Joker,
I have a quick question about the UE900 and the GR07s. I read your comments about them. I have the GR07 BEs. I like them alot and they are fun with most but I find they seem to collapse and don't really give the best separation and detail when listening to complex music. I have been listening to Holst Planets recently as my preferred test. I also ordered some TDK BA200s. These seem to do a better job with the issues I am having with the GR07 keeping the soundstage outside of my head during more complex passages. Even so, I have a brand new pair that is giving me shorting issues in an earpiece. They also aren't built to the overall quality of the GR07s. Finally we enter the UE900s. I have an opportunity to grab some of these at a great price (around $100 more than the GR07s). Will they do a better job than the GR07s at resolving detail and not "collapsing" as it were? Not sure if I am saying that right but during complex passages the GR07s just seem to lose any soundstage width and I feel as if I am listening to earphones instead of the music swimming around me. 
 
I think you like the UE900s from all I have read. At what point in a price drop would you put them as the "bang for the buck" IEM?

 

[precsmo]

Quote:

+1. had the chance to audit the stage 3 with the JH13s and JH16s (Freqphase). simply preferred the stage 3. sounds so musical and engaging. wish more were said bout these. great tuning by compact. saving up for these at the moment.

hope you will get yours in no time . I've done 2nd audition, this time with the Stage 4 which I've requested from Jaben, and the boss buddy (I knew him for years) generous enough to bring in the demo set for me all the way from Singapore. However, I was disappointed. It was too boomy, the bass was way too enhanced and forward to me, it affects the mid and vocal. I will not take risk and pay more for it hoping that the final custom shell will fix all that which I don't think so.
 
I've made comparisons with FitEar ToGo! 334 and in the same night UM Miracle. I've made another careful audition with the Stage 3 again during the 2nd audition. Due to the price factor, great services from Jaben, warranties, especially and most importantly, I really love the Stage 3 with its smooth and musical characteristic, I've decided to go for it. I'm assuming that the Stage 3 will be very much better with the final custom shells against the universal demo set. FitEar is another amazing earphone to me, I can't say it is better than Stage 3, they are just different, and I love it very much too. I would have gone for FitEar instead, however, the price is crazily expensive to me, I don't justify the improvements vs the price difference with the stage 3. Comparing the universal FitEar alone is already more expensive than the Stage 3 which the Stage 3 is already considerably towards the high side too, on the other hand, I personally will go for custom as my Livewire dual upgrade, I never like using any universal in-ear for more than 30 mins. And the FitEar custom is way too crazy with the price, I really don't justify those are improvements at all vs the much more costlier factor, I would rather consider it as different sounding and different characteristic, but I definitely love and amazed by FitEar, the sound performance alone.
 
Also, I think I'm amazed by the UM Miracle too. I had a hard time struggling for a good fit because the owner put a comply foam on it and he left the rubber tips at home, it did not work well for me at all, and the surrounding was quite noisy. Even without a good seal and poor surroundings, the Miracle was still good enough to amaze me. I was thoroughly amazed by the bass. I always have in mind that more drivers do not mean better, and I always have the perception that too many drivers and with the extra attention with the multiple bass drivers can be over killing. But the Miracle wasn't so at all, I was amazed how the Miracle was so finely tuned across the whole sound spectrum. Probably Miracle has the best bass among all IEMs I've ever tried. I find the mid and high is more analytic, I can't really confirm this because Miracle was the loudest I've ever cranked up with my Cowon J3, I believe it was the poor seal and the noisy surrounding again, so, it is very hard to audition it properly. Again, even with the poor condition, I really find Miracle is very very good overall, I'm very confident that it is one of the best CIEM in the market. Due to the reason that I can't really get a very precise impressions from the Miracle, and due to the fact that I've to do the ordering and ear impressions all by myself, I rather go for the CM Stage 3, which again, Jaben do it all for me. After all, I really like the Stage 3 overall smooth and musical characteristic. I find the Stage 3 sounds very alike to full size dynamic driver headphone other than the "sound" from balanced armature, if everyone gets what I mean. These were all my personal experience and impressions from all the 2 auditions I've done (JH13, JH16, FitEar, UM Miracle, CM Stage 3 and Stage 4), my impressions can be totally unreliable to anyone, but this is my share of thoughts I love the Stage 3 at the end and I will start ordering it in no time  
 
**thanks Joker for the reply, I still hope that there will be a very slight chance for you to having a review of the Compact Monitors Stage 3, it sounds amazing to me, maybe not to you, really curious on your findings out of it. But I knew the chance is close to impossible

 

[ibuckeye]

So as to not clog up the forums, does anyone know of a direct upgrade to the RE-ZERO in terms of sound signature? I returned the RE-262 I got recently due to not enough isolation, so now I have funds to upgrade (I tip-rolled like crazy and cannot get enough isolation without compromising the mids). Here's what I'm looking at and what I'm worried about for each:

• TDK BA200 - flat cables are annoying, and the shape looks like the RE-262, so I'm afraid for bad isolation/fit 
• GR07 - I heard these isolate less than the BA200, but seems to be the sound I'm looking for
• Brainwavz B2 - so-so build quality
• Rockit Sounds R-50 - so-so build quality and memory/hard wire (I hate it)
• Astrotec AX-7 - seems to be the best build quality of the bunch, but not enough reviews to become informed

I am looking for an RE-ZERO with slightly more subbass and wider soundstage (everything else seems perfect) - mainly at the GR07 and BA200. Yet, if the R-50 is closer to my ideal sound sig and its build quality not as bad as I make it out to be, then I'll get it. If neither of these are "upgrades," then I'll just stick to my RE-ZERO since I love it to death.

Thanks in advance

EDIT: I liked the RE-ZERO's sound sig much more than the RE-262.

I strongly recommend trying out the new Hifiman RE400. I own both revisions of the ZEROs and 262 and now have the 400. It has a flat neutral sig like the ZERO, but has better bass impact and isolation with the smaller housing design. It has an inoffensive treble, although probably a tad less sparkly than the ZERO but still much closer to it than the 262. The 262s sound downright muffled on some tracks in comparison due to the rolled off highs. The soundstage is closer to the 262 than the ZERO - definitely much wider but also better depth and height perception. The thing I love about the 400 is Hifiman seem to have boosted the upper frequencies just right to make the snares and cymbals and kicks sound crisp...drum rolls are fun and distinct. The 262 have this cardboad effect, and it's because some of the frequencies on the upper end of the spectrum are rolled off too steep. The new design is also by far the most comfortable and isolating of the three. Funny you have the gr07 in your list, because the 400 in one sentence can be summed up IMO as a gr07 with better design, less sibilance and a narrower soundstage. Hope this helps...

 

[psion84]

Quote:

hope you will get yours in no time . I've done 2nd audition, this time with the Stage 4 which I've requested from Jaben, and the boss buddy (I knew him for years) generous enough to bring in the demo set for me all the way from Singapore. However, I was disappointed. It was too boomy, the bass was way too enhanced and forward to me, it affects the mid and vocal. I will not take risk and pay more for it hoping that the final custom shell will fix all that which I don't think so.
 
I've made comparisons with FitEar ToGo! 334 and in the same night UM Miracle. I've made another careful audition with the Stage 3 again during the 2nd audition. Due to the price factor, great services from Jaben, warranties, especially and most importantly, I really love the Stage 3 with its smooth and musical characteristic, I've decided to go for it. I'm assuming that the Stage 3 will be very much better with the final custom shells against the universal demo set. FitEar is another amazing earphone to me, I can't say it is better than Stage 3, they are just different, and I love it very much too. I would have gone for FitEar instead, however, the price is crazily expensive to me, I don't justify the improvements vs the price difference with the stage 3. Comparing the universal FitEar alone is already more expensive than the Stage 3 which the Stage 3 is already considerably towards the high side too, on the other hand, I personally will go for custom as my Livewire dual upgrade, I never like using any universal in-ear for more than 30 mins. And the FitEar custom is way too crazy with the price, I really don't justify those are improvements at all vs the much more costlier factor, I would rather consider it as different sounding and different characteristic, but I definitely love and amazed by FitEar, the sound performance alone.
 
Also, I think I'm amazed by the UM Miracle too. I had a hard time struggling for a good fit because the owner put a comply foam on it and he left the rubber tips at home, it did not work well for me at all, and the surrounding was quite noisy. Even without a good seal and poor surroundings, the Miracle was still good enough to amaze me. I was thoroughly amazed by the bass. I always have in mind that more drivers do not mean better, and I always have the perception that too many drivers and with the extra attention with the multiple bass drivers can be over killing. But the Miracle wasn't so at all, I was amazed how the Miracle was so finely tuned across the whole sound spectrum. Probably Miracle has the best bass among all IEMs I've ever tried. I find the mid and high is more analytic, I can't really confirm this because Miracle was the loudest I've ever cranked up with my Cowon J3, I believe it was the poor seal and the noisy surrounding again, so, it is very hard to audition it properly. Again, even with the poor condition, I really find Miracle is very very good overall, I'm very confident that it is one of the best CIEM in the market. Due to the reason that I can't really get a very precise impressions from the Miracle, and due to the fact that I've to do the ordering and ear impressions all by myself, I rather go for the CM Stage 3, which again, Jaben do it all for me. After all, I really like the Stage 3 overall smooth and musical characteristic. I find the Stage 3 sounds very alike to full size dynamic driver headphone other than the "sound" from balanced armature, if everyone gets what I mean. These were all my personal experience and impressions from all the 2 auditions I've done (JH13, JH16, FitEar, UM Miracle, CM Stage 3 and Stage 4), my impressions can be totally unreliable to anyone, but this is my share of thoughts I love the Stage 3 at the end and I will start ordering it in no time  
 
**thanks Joker for the reply, I still hope that there will be a very slight chance for you to having a review of the Compact Monitors Stage 3, it sounds amazing to me, maybe not to you, really curious on your findings out of it. But I knew the chance is close to impossible

I think i have a fellow Msian buddy here. i may have just audited the exact same compact stage 3 universal as u. hehe. we had a mini meet at Kuching with Yu Heng of Jaben back in early Jan. that was where i got the chance to audit the compact,JHs and the fitear. i agree that the fitear is a beast but different from the compact. i liked both, but preferred the compact. i also had the chance to try out the miracles for a week. i have to agree that the bass was amazing, textured and layered. however i found the mids to be a little forward for my liking and sounds analytical overall,i prefer a more musical SS iem like the compact. but mind you it was a universal demo set, so the custom mold might vary from the universal version. wow, congratz on ur stage 3 buddy. im still miles away to owning one. hopefully by this year end i would be able to afford that cheeky compact.

 
 
Sorry for my wallet? I may not even need the use for a wallet after i purchase the compact. will be too broke then. haha

 

[ktan3142]

Quote:

I strongly recommend trying out the new Hifiman RE400. I own both revisions of the ZEROs and 262 and now have the 400. It has a flat neutral sig like the ZERO, but has better bass impact and isolation with the smaller housing design. It has an inoffensive treble, although probably a tad less sparkly than the ZERO but still much closer to it than the 262. The 262s sound downright muffled on some tracks in comparison due to the rolled off highs. The soundstage is closer to the 262 than the ZERO - definitely much wider but also better depth and height perception. The thing I love about the 400 is Hifiman seem to have boosted the upper frequencies just right to make the snares and cymbals and kicks sound crisp...drum rolls are fun and distinct. The 262 have this cardboad effect, and it's because some of the frequencies on the upper end of the spectrum are rolled off too steep. The new design is also by far the most comfortable and isolating of the three. Funny you have the gr07 in your list, because the 400 in one sentence can be summed up IMO as a gr07 with better design, less sibilance and a narrower soundstage. Hope this helps...

 
I've been lurking on the RE-400 / RE-600 thread, and I read that the 400 was stale/polite, to the point where 2-3 users immediately returned them. I have been considering the RE-400 as my next upgrade, but am worried about the cable hardening like my RE-ZERO did. Some claimed that the cable no longer hardens, some claim that it's still the same old cable. I'll wait for more people to get the RE-400 before seriously considering it, but thanks for the input.
 
How does the sibilance of the GR07 (or MKII) compare to that of the RE-ZERO. I did not find the ZERO to be sibilant at all, so it's probably not my biggest concern. Also, it's weird how you said that the 400 is the GR07 done right, because the 400 is claimed to be "polite," while the GR07 is deemed "fun."

 

[shotgunshane]

To my ears, the RE400 and GR07 don't really have much in common.