[silverkaze]

As the title states, I am not an audiophile, what I am going to be writing about is purely based on my impressions due to my visit in Jaben within an hour, my time was so limited and a lot of my impressions my not even be accurate. But after trying different iems, I could understand why a lot of people say that audio is all about personal preference, there was no good or bad, it is just whether you like it or not. I had my sm3 and ipod video with me to do some comparisons. I first jumped to the universal demo of JH13, my first impression was brighter, it was definitely brighter than my sm3, highs were more present and a lot of details are presented. That's what I felt about the 13 for the moment. Then I turned to JH16, I heard people describing JH16 as having more base than the 13, however I didn't find this to be true. They had about the same amount of bass out of ipod + rs hawk in my very short listening time, JH16 does sound very similar to the 13, and bass had a slightly different feel, but I wouldn't say that it is more in terms of quantity. Then next I tried JH11 and JH5, I find JH5 to have the least amount of bass out of the four, but this could be because that I couldn't get a very good fit with the JH5. JH11, in my opinion, was the one that has the most distinct sound signature. once again my descriptions here may not be true for a lot of people, but I also find that during my listening sessions, I do not agree with a lot of the things said on head fi about these iems. Then I tried some universal iems including the IE8 and UE Triple fi 10, I found IE8's sound signature to be the one I like the least. IE8 has the most bass quantity and sounds smooth with a slightly more muddy feel and less details. Also another thing I noticed is that JH13/16 sounds a lot better out of rs hawk compared to listening it straight out of an ipod, sound opens up and sound stage becomes more 3d, I have to say it sounds better by quite a bit.
 
Sorry about the messiness, I just wanted to share my opinions on some of the iems, after my limited listening time, I come to the conclusion that audio is all about personal preference and what sound signature you would like to have in your music. For now, I think SM3 is treating me very well.

 

[Bennyboy71]

Lovely impressions, thank you for sharing them.  How incredible it must be that you can walk into a store and sample such exotic delights as the JH13 and JH16. The mind boggles.
 
Here in the UK, the only place I know that will let you audition headphones is Handheld Audio, and even then their selection is limited compared to that available in some countries. A poor state of affairs really and indicative of the sad death of physical retail trade.
 
I am happy though that the SM3 is treating you so well. Mine are kissing my ears on a regular basis and loving me too.

 

[asphyxiation]

Thanks for all those impressions! : D Don't mind me asking, were you there yesterday at Jaben with your army uniform? Cuz I was there last afternoon but the place was bustling with people. 
 
I just ordered my SM3's and they should be here in a week or two. Glad you're enjoying the SM3.
 
You mentioned that you tried the TF10's, how were they to you?
 
@ Bennyboy If you ever get the chance to drop by Singapore, Jaben is really one of the must-go places!

 

[Stan91]

Hi there,
 
I'm from Singapore as well. Just to share some noob impressions with you guys. I'm not an audiophile as well.
 
I tried w3, um3x, shure 535, TF10.
Somehow w3 sounded very muddy and overall presentation of the music was bad. So i tried the other iems and then back to w3 again. And yes, same thing, i don't know if there w3 is spoiled anot lol. Isolation for w3 was bad as well. Though it use the same tips as the um3x, the isolation just weren't there.

Um3x sound closest to my SM3, but then something is like missing and overall presentation is quite boring. But Um3x is very comfortable, more comfortable than my SM3.

The bass of 535 is very strong IMHO, and it sound quite boomy to me. So it wasn't my cup of tea.

Lastly, the TF10. I really like the sound signature. Overall presentation of the music was good. Bass was just nice and it quite fun to listen to it. But sadly, the fit issue kills everything. Tried adjusting in every single way  and i just can't get a perfect fit. It's very uncomfortable >.<


I think i'm used to my SM3 sound signature already. ahahah.
 
And yes, the SM3 is treating me well. Currently waiting for bennyboy71's sensorcom tips! Can't wait to get them!

 

[yliu]

Quote:

Lovely impressions, thank you for sharing them.  How incredible it must be that you can walk into a store and sample such exotic delights as the JH13 and JH16. The mind boggles.
 
Here in the UK, the only place I know that will let you audition headphones is Handheld Audio, and even then their selection is limited compared to that available in some countries. A poor state of affairs really and indicative of the sad death of physical retail trade.
 
I am happy though that the SM3 is treating you so well. Mine are kissing my ears on a regular basis and loving me too.

Here, where I live, people don't even get to see the actual thing they wanna buy. You have to order it.

 

[asphyxiation]

Hi fellow Singaporean, haha. Congrats on your SM3, can't wait for mine. I haven't heard the 535's so I'm not sure if they'll really be the same as its little brother. If my memory serves me well, (I only had a short time with it), the 530's bass were deep and the quality was there, but I just felt that it didn't have enough quantity. Not sure if I've heard it wrong.
 
I'm on my TF10's now, and I really like it too! I'm particularly happy with the clarity on details, the bass which I thought made it very fun to listen to. What I didn't like was the recessed mids and sometimes the vocals lacked strength. It felt as if the vocalist had to try very hard to make you hear them. For me, the fit issue was okay, it's not superbly comfortable, but neither was it a killer.
 
PS. Bennyboy is shipping those to you? Perhaps I should get some too.

 

[Stan91]

Quote:

Hi fellow Singaporean, haha. Congrats on your SM3, can't wait for mine. I haven't heard the 535's so I'm not sure if they'll really be the same as its little brother. If my memory serves me well, (I only had a short time with it), the 530's bass were deep and the quality was there, but I just felt that it didn't have enough quantity. Not sure if I've heard it wrong.
 
I'm on my TF10's now, and I really like it too! I'm particularly happy with the clarity on details, the bass which I thought made it very fun to listen to. What I didn't like was the recessed mids and sometimes the vocals lacked strength. It felt as if the vocalist had to try very hard to make you hear them. For me, the fit issue was okay, it's not superbly comfortable, but neither was it a killer.
 
PS. Bennyboy is shipping those to you? Perhaps I should get some too.

Can you get a good fit with the TF10? Cause i can't seem to get a good fit even with the help from the ppl at stereos electronic. -.-.
Yup, bought 2 pairs from him. Can't wait to recieved them man!
 

 

[asphyxiation]

I won't say the fit is great, but it's okay for me. Plus, I'm not using the flip mod, the default orientation works fine for me. At times, it feels as if something big is stuck in my ears, other times it feels as if they're not there.
 
I should go back to Jaben and have a go on the JH's universal demos. Ahh.. the poison.
 

 

[cn11]

Quote:

Hi there,
 
I'm from Singapore as well. Just to share some noob impressions with you guys. I'm not an audiophile as well.
 
I tried w3, um3x, shure 535, TF10.
Somehow w3 sounded very muddy and overall presentation of the music was bad. So i tried the other iems and then back to w3 again. And yes, same thing, i don't know if there w3 is spoiled anot lol. Isolation for w3 was bad as well. Though it use the same tips as the um3x, the isolation just weren't there.

Um3x sound closest to my SM3, but then something is like missing and overall presentation is quite boring. But Um3x is very comfortable, more comfortable than my SM3.

The bass of 535 is very strong IMHO, and it sound quite boomy to me. So it wasn't my cup of tea.

Lastly, the TF10. I really like the sound signature. Overall presentation of the music was good. Bass was just nice and it quite fun to listen to it. But sadly, the fit issue kills everything. Tried adjusting in every single way  and i just can't get a perfect fit. It's very uncomfortable >.<


I think i'm used to my SM3 sound signature already. ahahah.
 
And yes, the SM3 is treating me well. Currently waiting for bennyboy71's sensorcom tips! Can't wait to get them!

I'm with you. My SM3's have spoiled me on anything else. They just do so much so right! The only other earphones I can still enjoy after them are the Radius DDM's, but they take an amp to get the most out of them and open up their treble and soundstage somewhat. So that requires my Arrow and LO cable for my Sony X with them.

 

[lucozade]

great impressions @silverkaze
Quote:

As the title states, I am not an audiophile, what I am going to be writing about is purely based on my impressions due to my visit in Jaben within an hour, my time was so limited and a lot of my impressions my not even be accurate. But after trying different iems, I could understand why a lot of people say that audio is all about personal preference, there was no good or bad, it is just whether you like it or not. I had my sm3 and ipod video with me to do some comparisons. I first jumped to the universal demo of JH13, my first impression was brighter, it was definitely brighter than my sm3, highs were more present and a lot of details are presented. That's what I felt about the 13 for the moment. Then I turned to JH16, I heard people describing JH16 as having more base than the 13, however I didn't find this to be true. They had about the same amount of bass out of ipod + rs hawk in my very short listening time, JH16 does sound very similar to the 13, and bass had a slightly different feel, but I wouldn't say that it is more in terms of quantity. Then next I tried JH11 and JH5, I find JH5 to have the least amount of bass out of the four, but this could be because that I couldn't get a very good fit with the JH5. JH11, in my opinion, was the one that has the most distinct sound signature. once again my descriptions here may not be true for a lot of people, but I also find that during my listening sessions, I do not agree with a lot of the things said on head fi about these iems. Then I tried some universal iems including the IE8 and UE Triple fi 10, I found IE8's sound signature to be the one I like the least. IE8 has the most bass quantity and sounds smooth with a slightly more muddy feel and less details. Also another thing I noticed is that JH13/16 sounds a lot better out of rs hawk compared to listening it straight out of an ipod, sound opens up and sound stage becomes more 3d, I have to say it sounds better by quite a bit.
 
Sorry about the messiness, I just wanted to share my opinions on some of the iems, after my limited listening time, I come to the conclusion that audio is all about personal preference and what sound signature you would like to have in your music. For now, I think SM3 is treating me very well.

 

[lucozade]

@ bennyboy 71 , glad to hear your love affair with the SM3 is still going strong and the passion is still there, i wonder how long it will be before you start getting physical with another iem 

 LOL
 
Quote:

Lovely impressions, thank you for sharing them.  How incredible it must be that you can walk into a store and sample such exotic delights as the JH13 and JH16. The mind boggles.
 
Here in the UK, the only place I know that will let you audition headphones is Handheld Audio, and even then their selection is limited compared to that available in some countries. A poor state of affairs really and indicative of the sad death of physical retail trade.
 
I am happy though that the SM3 is treating you so well. Mine are kissing my ears on a regular basis and loving me too.

 

[silverkaze]

Quote:

Thanks for all those impressions! : D Don't mind me asking, were you there yesterday at Jaben with your army uniform? Cuz I was there last afternoon but the place was bustling with people. 
 
I just ordered my SM3's and they should be here in a week or two. Glad you're enjoying the SM3.
 
You mentioned that you tried the TF10's, how were they to you?
 
@ Bennyboy If you ever get the chance to drop by Singapore, Jaben is really one of the must-go places!

No haha, I wasn't in Jaben Singapore, I was in Japen BeiJing, there were two other people auditioning earphones, after awhile I was the only one there. I wish I had more time and stayed longer, one hour wasn't enough for anything
The TF10's sounded great in my short listenning time, very dynamic and when compared to the IE8, they had very good bass and highs with better clarity and details. TF10 was a clear winner to me over the IE8, with IE8 adjusted to max bass.

 

[silverkaze]

 
Quote:

Hi there,
 
I'm from Singapore as well. Just to share some noob impressions with you guys. I'm not an audiophile as well.
 
I tried w3, um3x, shure 535, TF10.
Somehow w3 sounded very muddy and overall presentation of the music was bad. So i tried the other iems and then back to w3 again. And yes, same thing, i don't know if there w3 is spoiled anot lol. Isolation for w3 was bad as well. Though it use the same tips as the um3x, the isolation just weren't there.

Um3x sound closest to my SM3, but then something is like missing and overall presentation is quite boring. But Um3x is very comfortable, more comfortable than my SM3.

The bass of 535 is very strong IMHO, and it sound quite boomy to me. So it wasn't my cup of tea.

Lastly, the TF10. I really like the sound signature. Overall presentation of the music was good. Bass was just nice and it quite fun to listen to it. But sadly, the fit issue kills everything. Tried adjusting in every single way  and i just can't get a perfect fit. It's very uncomfortable >.<


I think i'm used to my SM3 sound signature already. ahahah.
 
And yes, the SM3 is treating me well. Currently waiting for bennyboy71's sensorcom tips! Can't wait to get them!

This reminds me that I also listened to the Shure SE535, they were the ones I listened to first, the first thing that turned me down about them is the cable. The cable is way too hard and stiff, I can hardly bend them and keep them over my ears. The sound signature, compared to the rest of the ones I tried, seemed to be nothing special. I could not pick out a strong point nor a very weak point in about several minutes of listening time. I have never listened to the Shure SE530 before, so I have no clue if 535 is an improvement over the previous. Unlike stan91, I didn't find the bass to be strong at all. One thing I do know is that it is not the sound signature I would give up my sm3 for.
 

 

[silverkaze]

No problem, it was a great experience having all the top tier iems lined in front of me, and not sure which one to start first
 
This gives me a very good idea of the sound signature of my sm3 after trying some other top tiers, and I sorta get an idea about where sm3 stands, how much improvement i can get by going for JHs.
 
The Jaben trip was fun, Jaben had pretty much all top tier iems I have seen on headfi, even though ones like radius DDM and ortofan eq7 were not available for demoing yet.

 
Quote:

Lovely impressions, thank you for sharing them.  How incredible it must be that you can walk into a store and sample such exotic delights as the JH13 and JH16. The mind boggles.
 
Here in the UK, the only place I know that will let you audition headphones is Handheld Audio, and even then their selection is limited compared to that available in some countries. A poor state of affairs really and indicative of the sad death of physical retail trade.
 
I am happy though that the SM3 is treating you so well. Mine are kissing my ears on a regular basis and loving me too.

Thanks, I hope it is not too messy.


 
Quote:

great impressions @silverkaze

 

 

[killz23]

Hey, I visited Jaben Malaysia few days ago, and managed to try the JH13. Gotta say, I was utterly, downright impressed!
 
Having listened to Ortofon, TF10, Hippo Shroom Eb, AD700, HD555 all those headphones, I think I like JH13's sound signature the most! Bass was nice and tight, mids were very pronounced, treble sounded just nice. In other words, everything clicked for me! 
 
Can't wait to go jaben Singapore this Thursday to try even more stuffs! )