Hi everyone! I have tested the E900M with both an iPhone 5s (mp3 and AAC files), Hifiman HM-901 and Hifiman HM-902 (FLAC and WAV 24/96 24/192 files) last week.
First, the form factor. While this IEM looks pretty good on pictures, it doesn't in the metal. They feel undoubtedly cheap and suffer from a rather cheap build quality. It's a 100% plastic shell, with joints where there shouldn't be any. It's made in China, and it feels like it is. Still, they are very light and comfortable to wear, especially with these soft and silent detachable cables. They are pretty bulky to me, though, but manage to "sit" pretty easily in my ears. I can also tell that it can be easily damaged even when being worn and manipulated very carefully. It would look used after 3 to 6 months of use, even if you only use it at home.
Second, passive ambient sound isolation is quite good, but this is no absolute winner.
Third, sound quality. I have been able to compare the sound signature and quality with the ones delivered by the SONY XBA-N3 AP, Cardas Audio A8 and Sennheiser IE 80. First of all, the latter doesn't come as a serious competitor to my ears, probably because of a very different sound signature. The price tag and some praising reviews just brought them to the test, but the comparison just ends up here for me.
Listening to various music styles, I am personally looking for in-ear headphones that can provide advanced sound quality, with great detail and good soundstage, but also generous yet neat lows and bass. The E900M clearly is a "V"-shaped product, but it's pretty difficult to locate the bottom point of the "V". No "U". It has deep bass that is not overwhelming, it sounds incredibly quick and responsive in the lows too, while managing a rather good balance with low mediums. High mediums are more discreet, a bit backward, and the loud highs artificially help to enhance precision. But obviously - and this is probably the main issue with the E900M - the "sss", "x", "t" sounds can easily become aggressive to many ears (not only mines) when listening to vocals.
In comparison, the SONY XBA-N3 AP offer a more "rounded" and warmer sound signature overall, with no brightness issue of the highs, but a disturbing dominance of the bass. Overall, they sound less precise and too slow for high-pace music styles. It's like the high frequencies are constantly dragging the low ones behind. It makes the listening experience quickly exhausting for my ears.
Cardas Audio A8's metal shells are too heavy for me and penetrate more deeply in the ears, making them an uncomfortable yet decent SONY competitor. Plus the fact that the A8 cable is a hit!
So... while it is far from being perfect, the E900M manages to grab my preference here, but I look forward to trying it with foams to see if these can cut the high peeks a bit in order to make vocals sound smoother and the overall listening experience more involving.
To conclude this short review, I'd say the E900M definitely deserves its premium place within the current ONKYO range, and definitely does NOT worth the current asked price. It's not as versatile as I would have expected it to be (since I like listening to many very different music styles), but this doesn't prevent it to be the most convincing IEM I have been able to find within that price range so far. Now, does it deserve my money? I still need time to decide. I would have loved to try the E700M on the same occasion for direct comparison, but it's like ONKYO don't want me to. Is it because it would reveal how overpriced the E900M is... or how much of a bargain the E700M is?
I would also love to hear your views and recommendations for other comparable IEMs you think I should try. Thanks!
