[Mixcder]

  My turn! Enjoy 

 

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REVIEW​

 

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Nice Review!

 

[Mixcder]

  I got some unexpected listening time in yesterday too so I am ahead of schedule -  my review is up.
 
Thanks again to Mixcder for this opportunity.  I hope they will continue to offer these review samples so others can get to know this brand.  As for me, I'm keeping my pair and ordered another for SWMBO.  

Thanks for the support,william. 

 

[Mixcder]

My initial listen was during and after a hard run, whilst daughter practiced at goalie training. I must say it was a typical Midwestern WINDY evening, with beautiful clouds.

This afforded me two findings right off the bat: isolation, and fit during a rigorous workout (no, really!). While I could hear the wind in my ears, it was much less than expected. I was very happy with the enclosed and mounted silicon tips.

And as for fit, I had no problems what so ever with running the X5 cable down. The little critter (OK, notnso little) stayed put, period. No movement at all. Again, quite happy, since they were run cable down.

As for my initial sound impressions? I am satisfied with that, too. A good solid sound, highlighted by what I will call "exuberant" mids, highlighted a pretty solid initial impression.

Good reach of bass, wasn't balanced by good reach of treble, though. Of course, this is only 1.5hrs into my listen, too. My hope is that the treble will open a bit, to balance the mids and bass.

The shape to me matches the excellent Dunu Titan 1, once of my first forays back into the portable world, and a worthy one to mimic!

Well done, so far!

Thanks for the advice.

 

[genclaymore]

After listening to it more, after letting it burn in more so, I notice the highs became bright. Before that it was too Detailed and thin in the highs if that make sense, But it Could just be my phone, But I have two other pair's of IEMs that isn't like that in the highs on my phone.

 

[TwinACStacks]

A little sooner than I would have preferred but here is my Review:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/products/wired-earphones-mixcder-x5-in-ear-earbud-headphones-metal-housing-with-mic-noise-reducing-for-3-5mm-audio-output-iphone-and-other-smartphones-black/reviews/18468
 
Thank You so Much Denise for this opportunity.
 

TWIN

 

[slowpickr]

 

A little sooner than I would have preferred but here is my Review:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/products/wired-earphones-mixcder-x5-in-ear-earbud-headphones-metal-housing-with-mic-noise-reducing-for-3-5mm-audio-output-iphone-and-other-smartphones-black/reviews/18468
 
Thank You so Much Denise for this opportunity.
 

TWIN

 
Am I last?  Here is my review:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/products/wired-earphones-mixcder-x5-in-ear-earbud-headphones-metal-housing-with-mic-noise-reducing-for-3-5mm-audio-output-iphone-and-other-smartphones-black/reviews/18476
 
Like TWIN I would like to express my gratitude to Denise and Mixcder for the review opportunity.
 
Scott

 

[ryanjsoo]

   
Am I last?  Here is my review:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/products/wired-earphones-mixcder-x5-in-ear-earbud-headphones-metal-housing-with-mic-noise-reducing-for-3-5mm-audio-output-iphone-and-other-smartphones-black/reviews/18476
 
Like TWIN I would like to express my gratitude to Denise and Mixcder for the review opportunity.
 
Scott

I'm definitely going to be last, I haven't even received the earphones yet!

 

[areek]

  I'm definitely going to be last, I haven't even received the earphones yet!

Same here, tracking info says information received on 13-04 and no updates since then. 

 

[Mixcder]

   
Am I last?  Here is my review:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/products/wired-earphones-mixcder-x5-in-ear-earbud-headphones-metal-housing-with-mic-noise-reducing-for-3-5mm-audio-output-iphone-and-other-smartphones-black/reviews/18476
 
Like TWIN I would like to express my gratitude to Denise and Mixcder for the review opportunity.
 
Scott

Thanks for the great review, Scott. It's our great hornor to have you guys to review our X5. Cheers!

 

[Mixcder]

We are so sorry for the slow delivery. @ areek  @ ryanjsoo  @ Deviltooth
 
Reviewers outside USA&CA, we sent the sample out from China instead of  Amazon FBA.  But it is quite strange that the info has not updated since April,13. Will check with the forwarder.

 

[ryanjsoo]

  We are so sorry for the slow delivery. @ areek  @ ryanjsoo  @ Deviltooth
 
Reviewers outside USA&CA, we sent the sample out from China instead of  Amazon FBA.  But it is quite strange that the info has not updated since April,13. Will check with the forwarder.

 
No problem! I've been really busy recently anyway, but am looking forward to reviewing the X5 when they get here. Thanks again for your hard work!

 

[Mixcder]

Hello My friends, So glad to see all the reviews. Thank you so much for the hard work. But we noticed that some of you mentioned that a week is too short to review a brand-new product, I am not a professional reviewer or an audiophile and I am really sorry that I asked for a review within a week since the receipt. 

  Can you guys let me know how long do you usually need so we can have a better and more reasonable time schedule for our next review round.
 
Many thanks in advance.

 

[ngoshawk]

  Hello My friends, So glad to see all the reviews. Thank you so much for the hard work. But we noticed that some of you mentioned that a week is too short to review a brand-new product, I am not a professional reviewer or an audiophile and I am really sorry that I asked for a review within a week since the receipt. 

  Can you guys let me know how long do you usually need so we can have a better and more reasonable time schedule for our next review round.
 
Many thanks in advance.

A week is typical for review tours. That said, I personally can get a good interpretation and review information within about a 10 day period. We've come to accept the 7-day rule set by manufacturers, and do our best. I am personally squeezing the x5 in with three other units. A price we pat when we want to play!
 
The benefit of reviews such as yours, is that we WILL have longer, because of your gracious gift to us!
 
And, I have more details from my perspective: A good decent fit can be had either over ear, or by hanging the cable down. Either way has worked for me. As for sound, I installed a pair of new Comply tips I had lying around, and get a better fit for me. Isolation is about the same as the silicon tips, which were mounted. Both provide a good seal.
 
I am quite pleased with the overall sound signature, even with the pushed forward mids. As I stated, I do believe that this is a trait of "sport-oriented" IEM's/Earbuds. I do not mind. I liken it to the target forward on a futbol team, supported by two attacking mids, in a triangle (the bass and treble); much the way Arsenal had Giroud/Ozil/Sanchez against Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final today. The three compliment each other very well.
 
These are a very competent affordable alternative to the cheap buds, which come with smartphones. I would most likely pick these over any of the included earbuds, which have come with my smartphones.
 
A commendable job! More coming, hopefully in the next week or so.
 
Thank you again, for the gift and the opportunity to help mixcder out!

 

[Wiljen]

  Hello My friends, So glad to see all the reviews. Thank you so much for the hard work. But we noticed that some of you mentioned that a week is too short to review a brand-new product, I am not a professional reviewer or an audiophile and I am really sorry that I asked for a review within a week since the receipt. 

  Can you guys let me know how long do you usually need so we can have a better and more reasonable time schedule for our next review round.
 
Many thanks in advance.

 
Tough to give a single right answer here.   In most cases it depends on the product in question, the reviewer's schedule, and the depth of comparisons to other products or the use of the product in different environments.
 
Product:   I've had some headphones that took a lot of burn-in to really do their best work.  If I had reviewed those with less than 100 hours of burn-in time, the review would not have been the same as it was after that mark.  I think the KZ-ZST is a good example of that.  Out of the box they tend to be muddy at the bottom and piercing at the top end.  With some time on them and a 48 hour pink noise session, they calm down a good bit.  That is not to say they become a completely different product, just that they improve enough that reviews based on taking them out of the box and immediately doing listening impressions are generally less positive and much more likely to note sibilance and loose bass.   
 
People will argue that burn-in isn't a real phenomenon but whether you believe in it or not, its a proven fact that most people will review a product differently after 100+ hours of use than they would when reviewed as soon as it came out of the box.
 
Personally, I think anything with moving parts can benefit by giving it some time to break in as tiny bits of glue or burrs etc. can be worn down with use.
 
Reviewer:   On slow weeks, I can usually listen about six (6) hours a day and this gives me enough listening time to generally form a pretty good basis for review in three (3) or four (4) days.  On busy weeks, I may only get an hour (1) or two (2) in, and this means it may take me eight(8) - ten(10) days to get that same amount of time in.
 
Comparisons:  Every product you compare to the review sample requires you double the amount of listening time in order to really draw a solid comparison.   If you pick six  test tracks (roughly 30 minutes of music) and listen to them each 4 times per device, this can quickly grow into a number of days.    For me, I listen with the test sample, then with Comp1, then start over and listen with the test sample again and then with Comp2 and so on to make sure the test sample stays fresh in memory when drawing comparisons.   I try never to listen to one member of a comparison on one day and the other on a different day as it introduces way too many variables to really do justice to the comparison.    Basically the same can be said for changes in other parts of the audio chain.  If testing a single set of headphones with multiple sources, you again have to do an A/B test for each change you make to really be able to compare.   Again this means doubling the listening time for each swap.
 
      As reviewers, we understand too that the manufacturer providing the sample is after two things that can lead in opposite directions.  First and foremost, they want a solid review and with any luck a positive one.  This is not to say they expect misrepresentation of the product, but that they want their product presented in the best light realistically possible.  For example, it would be preferable to say "Good Bass and solid mids with some flaws in the treble" instead of "Despite some good characteristics, the treble makes these unlistenable".     As reviewers we have to remember that each person is different and not apply our personal biases to the review in a way that negatively depicts the product.   For this reason, I usually re-read my reviews before posting to make sure I have not made negative statements that show a personal preference or bias.     The second goal is a timely review as no manufacturer wants to think they sent out samples only to get nothing in return.   For that reason, most review tours give each person a week to listen and then the expectation is you write your notes the week after your listening session and post your review then.  (This gives 2 weeks total).
 
For others, I am sure their process is different, but hopefully that gives you a little insight into my process and my thinking.
 
Wiljen

 

[ngoshawk]

Tough to give a single right answer here.   In most cases it depends on the product in question, the reviewer's schedule, and the depth of comparisons to other products or the use of the product in different environments.

Product:   I've had some headphones that took a lot of burn-in to really do their best work.  If I had reviewed those with less than 100 hours or burn-in time, the review would not have been the same as it was after that mark.  I think the KZ-ZST is a good example of that.  Out of the box they tend to be muddy at the bottom and piercing at the top end.  With some time on them and a 48 hour pink noise session, they calm down a good bit.  That is not to say they become a completely different product, just that they improve enough that reviews based on taking them out of the box and immediately doing listening impressions are generally less positive and much more likely to note sibilance and loose bass.   

People will argue that burn-in isn't a real phenomenon but whether you believe in it or not, its a proven fact that most people will review a product differently after 100+ hours of use than they would when reviewed as soon as it came out of the box.

Personally, I think anything with moving parts can benefit by giving it some time to break in as tiny bits of glue or burrs etc. can be worn down with use.

Reviewer:   On slow weeks, I can usually listen about six (6) hours a day and this gives me enough listening time to generally form a pretty good basis for review in three (3) or four (4) days.  On busy weeks, I may only get an hour (1) or two (2) in, and this means it may take me eight(8) - ten(10) days to get that same amount of time in.

Comparisons:  Every product you compare to the review sample requires you double the amount of listening time in order to really draw a solid comparison.   If you pick six  test tracks (roughly 30 minutes of music) and listen to them each 4 times per device, this can quickly grow into a number of days.    For me, I listen with the test sample, then with Comp1, then start over and listen with the test sample again and then with Comp2 and so on to make sure the test sample stays fresh in memory when drawing comparisons.   I try never to listen to one member of a comparison on one day and the other on a different day as it introduces way too many variables to really do justice to the comparison.    Basically the same can be said for changes in other parts of the audio chain.  If testing a single set of headphones with multiple sources, you again have to do an A/B test for each change you make to really be able to compare.   Again this means doubling the listening time for each swap.

      As reviewers, we understand too that the manufacturer providing the sample is after two things that can lead in opposite directions.  First and foremost, they want a solid review and with any luck a positive one.  This is not to say they expect misrepresentation of the product, but that they want their product presented in the best light realistically possible.  For example, it would be preferable to say "Good Bass and solid mids with some flaws in the treble" instead of "Despite some good characteristics, the treble makes these unlistenable".     As reviewers we have to remember that each person is different and not apply our personal biases to the review in a way that negatively depicts the product.   For this reason, I usually re-read my reviews before posting to make sure I have not made negative statements that show a personal preference or bias.     The second goal is a timely review as no manufacturer wants to think they sent out samples only to get nothing in return.   For that reason, most review tours give each person a week to listen and then the expectation is you write your notes the week after your listening session and post your review then.  (This gives 2 weeks total).

For others, I am sure their process is different, but hopefully that gives you a little insight into my process and my thinking.

Wiljen

Those are excellent and commendable suggestions. I would add too, that some headphones require burn in per the manufacturers requirements, such as the Audioquest line. I believe their requirements are 150hrs, which makes it very hard on reviewers. I can also say, that when I burned in my Nightowls, I gave a very brief listen, then hooked them to a DAP and left them for 150+ hours. It did make a difference.

Willjen makes excellent suggestions, and the quality of his reviews shows as a result.