[RollsRoys]

Hello, in case anyone willing to let go PP8s, I'm looking for small version.
Feel free to PM me your offer.

Cheers =)

 

[misteral201103]

Hello, in case anyone willing to let go PP8s, I'm looking for small version.
Feel free to PM me your offer.

Cheers =)

You'll pry my pair from my cold dead hands...

Seriously though, good luck, hope you find a pair for sale!

 

[carskiller]

Just got the burl wood pp8 and i love it. From using the westone umpro50s its been a drastic change, which I at first thought the sound would be similar(?) (they both are reference type iems) but the pp8 are at a different level. After trying the normal pp8 and the burl wood edition, i feel like the burl wood have a warmer sound, so i paid more for them!!
i am currently using the final e series eartips, which has a larger soundstage which kept the bass from the spinfit cp100 and good mids and highs. But I was wondering, because I am using astell&kern se100s, which a&k is famously known for their 2.5 balance (meaning their 3.5 jack is not as good), with the original cable could not be remade to a balance output (cable with 3x), i would like to ask like does balance matter a lot to the pp8 and an a&k player? how could i solve the problem? (because apparently the original cable is the perfect match and changing cables are not recommended by basically the Inear team and various pp8 users)
(maybe solving the problem is to buy the pmx... oops)
thanks!!

 

[bukumurah]

Just got the burl wood pp8 and i love it. From using the westone umpro50s its been a drastic change, which I at first thought the sound would be similar(?) (they both are reference type iems) but the pp8 are at a different level. After trying the normal pp8 and the burl wood edition, i feel like the burl wood have a warmer sound, so i paid more for them!!
i am currently using the final e series eartips, which has a larger soundstage which kept the bass from the spinfit cp100 and good mids and highs. But I was wondering, because I am using astell&kern se100s, which a&k is famously known for their 2.5 balance (meaning their 3.5 jack is not as good), with the original cable could not be remade to a balance output (cable with 3x), i would like to ask like does balance matter a lot to the pp8 and an a&k player? how could i solve the problem? (because apparently the original cable is the perfect match and changing cables are not recommended by basically the Inear team and various pp8 users)
(maybe solving the problem is to buy the pmx... oops)
thanks!!

As a longtime PP8 owner, I will share my experience with you so you can have a head start with yours..

PP8 are very neutral iems, so any change in tips, cables, or source will affect their tonality quite noticeably.. one can almost consider them to be chameleons to some extent.. do bear in mind though that no matter what you do, you will never be able to turn them into a bass monster like the Sony Z1R, a resolution king like the qdc VX, or thick and smooth like the Vision Ears VE8.. my point is that the PP8 will easily change their sound signature (somewhat) while still remain as a PP8..

So onto the actual parts rolling..

Tips - of all the tips I have tried (almost everything), the stock black silicone ones are the most neutral sound and the best match for the PP8.. tips with narrower bores (smaller hole than stock) such as Final E Type will make the soundstage smaller and more congested but also increase the bass.. while tips with larger bores (bigger hole than stock) such as JVC spiral dot++ or Azla Sedna will make the sound airier and clearer but also make the bass very thin..

Cables - stock cable is most likely the only cable that will retain the original dead neutral tonality of the PP8.. other cables will definitely change the sound signature.. going balanced is not always the best way to go but I find that a lot of DAPs seem to have a much better balanced circuitry compared to the single ended side.. get familiar with the original PP8 sound signature first by using the stock cable for some time.. then see if you desire a slightly different sound signature (warmer, brighter, etc).. after that find a cable that gives you that sound by demoing different cables.. as for me, I prefer a slightly neutral-warm and musical sound compared to the standard, very neutral sound of the PP8.. so I ended up using the Dita OSLO cable which gives me that kind of neutral-warm sound.. but they are not perfect, the sound is ever so slightly muddier than the original PP8 sound, though I still find it enjoyable for long listening sessions.. there is a trade off for everything..
DISCLAIMER: I am a believer that cable materials change the sound of iems somethat.. or maybe I should do better volume matching, who knows.. but I do hear some differences nevertheless..

DAPs - every change in DAP will significantly modify the sound signature of the PP8, more so than everything else I think.. some DAPs like the iBasso DX150 will make the PP8 very dead and boring.. while the DX221mk2 will make the PP8 very mid centric (seems slightly rolled off on both ends).. on the other hand, the Cayin N6ii with A01 dac will make the mids extremely thin but the bass and treble very nice.. the infamous, giant-killer, budget DAP DX160 makes the PP8 too aggressive and fatiguing for me.. in the end, the Cayin N5iiS is a reasonably good match for the PP8 as it retains the neutral sound signature, and also happens to be my DAP at the moment.. but I have heard the PP8 sounding much better with Sony WM1Z, DMP-Z1 (!) and AK SP1000 (hopefully my next DAP soon).. I have a WM1A on the way, so we shall see how well they pair with the PP8..

So yeah, those are my impressions from experimenting with my PP8.. basically they are so neutral that any change in the system will be so apparent.. so original parts (tips, cables) and a neutral DAP are almost always the way to go until you know what it is that you value more than dead flat neutrality, then you can go there..

Cheers!

 

[HuoYuanJia]

Cables - stock cable is the best match for the PP8, period.. other cables will definitely change the sound signature..

Have to disagree here. The stock cable has audible crosstalk. That is quite rare but you can hear it if you turn the volume up and mute one side. The muted side will play the audio from the other side, but with switched polarity. This is an effect you absolutely want to avoid. It's not very noticeable at medium volumes, but it still limits the quality of the IEM.

The ProPhile 8 have relatively stable impedance across the frequency range. They need 3,6 ohms added to change the tonality by more than 1dB (source). This would have to mean the cable has a strong variance in resistance. Most cables are between 0,5 and 1,7 ohms so not enough to bend the original tuning, from an objective position. If you are a strong believer in "copper sounds warmer" or "silver creates sparkle", then YMMV.

I agree with everything else you said, though.

 

[Deolum]

Anyone has experience with using pp8 for sport? Can it handle the sweat? May it only damage the cable or could it be harmful for the earphones or the connectors itself?

 

[robstah]

Anyone has experience with using pp8 for sport? Can it handle the sweat? May it only damage the cable or could it be harmful for the earphones or the connectors itself?

I've worked out in mine a few times, have had issues with spinfits getting sweaty and breaking seal mid way through, so if you can handle some Complys designed for sport, you may be alright, even though the Complys in my opinion kill the sound to an extent. As for the cable, the stock cable seems bulletproof as long as you take Inear's suggestion on minimizing the disconnection of IEM and cable (which is a general rule anyway), so find a nice case that supports that (I enjoy using the Audio Technica AT-HPP300 for this). Outside of that, just know you are putting a TOTL IEM at risk of damage/breaking when doing so, which is the equivalent of daily driving a Ferrari, and if you can support that, I say go for it.

 

[batracom]

I am seriously considering a Prophile 8. I had two questions 1) Would everyone agree that the 'default' size to get would be the small? Is there any trade-off in doing so? Would it isolate less because of the smaller shell, for example? 2) I am coming from a Sennheiser IE800S, which I like very much, but keep feeling is too warm at times, for orchestral classical music. Am I correct to state that the Prophile 8 would mark an improvement in all fronts over the IE800S, if I am after neutral sound for both large-scale and chamber/solo instrument classical music? Many thanks!

 

[Deolum]

I am seriously considering a Prophile 8. I had two questions 1) Would everyone agree that the 'default' size to get would be the small? Is there any trade-off in doing so? Would it isolate less because of the smaller shell, for example? 2) I am coming from a Sennheiser IE800S, which I like very much, but keep feeling is too warm at times, for orchestral classical music. Am I correct to state that the Prophile 8 would mark an improvement in all fronts over the IE800S, if I am after neutral sound for both large-scale and chamber/solo instrument classical music? Many thanks!

To 1) when i got my pp8s i was sure they send me the normal pp8 until i found the pp8s writing on the shells. I‘ve never seen a bigger Iem in my life and it‘s the only downside that bothers me on this iem. The fact that you can‘t lie in your bed resting your head on the pillow because this damn iem is bigger than hulk hogans arms. Don‘t even wanna know how big the standard version is. So unless you‘re 2 meters or taller i can‘t imagine any reasons to buy the bigger one.

 

[Deolum]

I've worked out in mine a few times, have had issues with spinfits getting sweaty and breaking seal mid way through, so if you can handle some Complys designed for sport, you may be alright, even though the Complys in my opinion kill the sound to an extent. As for the cable, the stock cable seems bulletproof as long as you take Inear's suggestion on minimizing the disconnection of IEM and cable (which is a general rule anyway), so find a nice case that supports that (I enjoy using the Audio Technica AT-HPP300 for this). Outside of that, just know you are putting a TOTL IEM at risk of damage/breaking when doing so, which is the equivalent of daily driving a Ferrari, and if you can support that, I say go for it.

I decided against it. Can you recommend any other IEM for sports with maybe the build of a shure and the sound of a little pp8? Tried wireless IEMs but i really miss good sound while working out.

 

[robstah]

I decided against it. Can you recommend any other IEM for sports with maybe the build of a shure and the sound of a little pp8? Tried wireless IEMs but i really miss good sound while working out.

Just to say it, I have no problems with the larger shell original PP8, I think the size factor with these gets a bit overblown and the only thing relevant to it is finding the right tips that match it and your ears since the outer fit is the closest to a CIEM you can get with a universal.

As for sound signature, you won't match it exactly, but you can either dabble with cheaper IEMs that have 8 BAs and dial in the signature with output impedance adjustment (multi BAs can be sensitive to that to an extent) or find something that is closest to neutral and go with that. I've always been meaning to try the Etymotic ER4 series as a cheaper alternative.

 

[Deolum]

Just to say it, I have no problems with the larger shell original PP8, I think the size factor with these gets a bit overblown and the only thing relevant to it is finding the right tips that match it and your ears since the outer fit is the closest to a CIEM you can get with a universal.

As for sound signature, you won't match it exactly, but you can either dabble with cheaper IEMs that have 8 BAs and dial in the signature with output impedance adjustment (multi BAs can be sensitive to that to an extent) or find something that is closest to neutral and go with that. I've always been meaning to try the Etymotic ER4 series as a cheaper alternative.

Thanks, i ordered a fiio fh5. Seems like nobody hates it, crincale doesn't stomp it, price and form looks good and they advertise it with a woman who is in sports clothes.

 

[Raketen]

Thanks, i ordered a fiio fh5. Seems like nobody hates it, crincale doesn't stomp it, price and form looks good and they advertise it with a woman who is in sports clothes.

Why not just use the headphones from your avatar photo? They look perfectly evolved for extreme conditions.

 

[Deolum]

Why not just use the headphones from your avatar photo? They look perfectly evolved for extreme conditions.

They might keep my ears too warm while excessive squatting.

 

[misteral201103]

I am seriously considering a Prophile 8. I had two questions 1) Would everyone agree that the 'default' size to get would be the small? Is there any trade-off in doing so? Would it isolate less because of the smaller shell, for example? 2) I am coming from a Sennheiser IE800S, which I like very much, but keep feeling is too warm at times, for orchestral classical music. Am I correct to state that the Prophile 8 would mark an improvement in all fronts over the IE800S, if I am after neutral sound for both large-scale and chamber/solo instrument classical music? Many thanks!

@robstah has covered this in his post but I'll just second what he says. In the world of IEMs, the PP8s is not a large set. I have owned and tried far bigger IEMs. As far as I know, the sound signature is exactly the same between the two models so the smaller variant is the one I would recommend. As stated, the fit is very close to a custom IEM - quite remarkable - and tips will be the most important next factor for fit (Spinfits are my recommendation in terms of seal and maintenance of sound sig)

The PP8s has a famously reference tuning which you can adapt if necessary with a boost in upper or lower frequencies (or both or neither) I have owned them for over a year and am still marvelling at the sound they produce. I auditioned them against the top tier offerings at a CanJam and for my ears and tastes, nothing beat them - even though I was listening to more expensive sets. I have yet to find a style or genre of music which they do not excel at - classical music is beautifully represented with details, soundstage and musicality. At this price, you should really audition them before purchase but I suspect you will be very pleased with them when you do. Please let us know how you get on!