[EraserXIV]

Sibilance on the e-Q5? On my e-Q7 (which is supposedly the same as the e-Q5), if anything there is a slight roll off in the highs. No matter how high I jack up the volume I can't hear any thing that resembles sibilance. The RE262 are a tad bit smoother I guess in the highs, but still the e-Q7 is extremely smooth in its own regard. Maybe your source is the cause of the sibilance you are hearing.

 

[ClieOS]

Sibilance and roll off can coexist - one of on the voice band (around 6kHz) while the other is on the top end (>10kHz). There is some slight aggressiveness on e-Q7, but personally I don't consider it being sibilant, and e-Q5 is actually smoother in my ears.

 

[Pianist]

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Sibilance and roll off can coexist - one of on the voice band (around 6kHz) while the other is on the top end (>10kHz). There is some slight aggressiveness on e-Q7, but personally I don't consider it being sibilant, and e-Q5 is actually smoother in my ears.

Exactly. But I also found e-Q7 to be a little grainy and rough sounding in the upper treble. With some music, it lacked a bit of finesse/refinement in the upper frequencies. I was comparing them directly with RE0 back then - the latter did upper treble much better to my ears.
 
The e-Q5 does have smoother, slightly better extended highs than the e-Q7, but are still no match for RE0 in this regard. But I also felt that e-Q5 actually take a step back from the e-Q7 in the bass and mids, offering a bit more refinement and less color for a much less musical and energetic presentation that I loved so much in the e-Q7.

 

[brendon]

Quote:

Sibilance on the e-Q5? On my e-Q7 (which is supposedly the same as the e-Q5), if anything there is a slight roll off in the highs. No matter how high I jack up the volume I can't hear any thing that resembles sibilance. The RE262 are a tad bit smoother I guess in the highs, but still the e-Q7 is extremely smooth in its own regard. Maybe your source is the cause of the sibilance you are hearing.

I heard sibilance in the 3 sources that I tried - Sansa Fuze, BlackBerry 8330 and Music Streamer II.
 
However that was because of the way the e-Q5s were inserted into my ear. With a better seal the sibilance was gone but I could still hear some peaks in the region that would detract in a few songs. I am very sensitive to such peaks which is probably the reason why they bothered me so much.

 

[james444]

Sibilance with the e-Q5 or e-Q7 is a sure sign of bad fit. IME Ortofon's stock tips are pretty perfidious, they make you think you've a good seal when in fact you haven't.

 

[rawrster]

How do those tips do that?
 
However typically regardless of earphone I usually only get sibilance when I have a poor fit or not using the best tips for my ears.

 

[goodvibes]

James, the tips on the Ortos look a lot like those on the Grado. Are they identical or just similar?

 

[james444]

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Better late than never, here's my take on the Ortofon e-Q5: http://anythingbutipod.com/2011/01/ortofon-e-q5-review/

I believe this is worth quoting in the more active e-Q5 thread. Excellent review as always.
 
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James, the tips on the Ortos look a lot like those on the Grado. Are they identical or just similar?

To my ears and eyes they are identical.

 

[Redmetal1897]

Nice! A dfkt review 

 I already have the eq-5's but always great to get his insight

 

[Pianist]

Hmm, I wonder why I felt that e-Q7 sounds quite different from the e-Q5 - bigger, more powerful, more involving. I doubt I was spoiled by my FA-003, because my HD555 which I had for 5 years now still sounds the same to me as it did before. I also doubt that I forgot how the e-Q7 sounds. Ok, maybe I forgot the actual sound, but not the feelings that I experienced when listening to them. I just couldn't get the same feelings no matter what when listening to the e-Q5. I found e-Q7 exciting with great depth to the sound, excellent, wide stereo image, rich involving mids and wonderfully punchy and textured low end response.. e-Q5? Slightly anemic bass lacking impact, flat, boring mids, very little soundstage that seems stuck inside my head and with clearly apparent blobs, unimpressive depth, somewhat odd timbre - everything seems to sound too warm and rounded, there's not enough edge to the sound... So honestly I am at a total loss right now seeing how everyone seems to think that e-Q7 sounds very similar to e-Q5. SO any ideas what's going on here? Is it just me? I doubt that I was getting a bad fit since I tried all the tips with no success and I doubt I got spoiled by anything because like I said, my HD555 still sounds the same to me as it always did and so do my UE Super.fi 3s.

 
BTW, I also just received a pair of the new RE262 by Hifiman and my impressions of them are also very different from those of most people - most say they sound good unamped and have some of the best mids out there in universal IEMs on par with SE530. To my ears they sound bland and dull unamped with poor instrument separation, very little sense of space, slight muddiness, shallow bass with little depth, suppressed treble, somewhat compressed dynamics you name it. And like I said my HD555 and FA-003 and UE Super.fi 3 still sound just fine to me, so nothing is wrong with my ears. Must be something mental I guess. Am I going nuts then?

 

[Redmetal1897]

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 Am I going nuts then?

Yes
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Jks

 Its always nice to get differing opinions. I have to say though, I'm not hearing the e-q5's like you are, though admittedly I have not heard the 535 or the e-q7. For me the mids are very engaging, with alot of body and feel, nice mid sized soundstage with good separation and air between instruments and good realistic timbre. In fact the way the music is presented with them is the main reasons I enjoy them so much. Whenever I listen to them, it sounds very much like I'm listening to music live, the timbre is very realistic as well imo. 

 

[james444]

@Pianist I'm still thinking your e-Q5 experience might be fit related. Would be interesting if you had the chance to audition a GR10, as these have very similar sound signature to the Ortofons and are a dead sure fit with any pair of ears.

 

[EraserXIV]

Pianist you are not going crazy. The e-Q5 is more neutral and polite than the e-Q7 and some people value that. I for one actually prefer the e-Q7 for its unique coloration of sound which makes it sound very natural and exciting. The e-Q7 draws you into the music and engages you with it, whereas the e-Q5 presents it technically more "accurate". The bass on the e-Q5 is not as deep as the e-Q7, and while the e-Q5 is still mid-oriented, in comparison with the e-Q7 it can feel like a takes a step back. It's not a big difference, but was noticeable at first listen for me. The general consensus seems to be that the e-Q5 is more neutral, and for some people that's exactly what they're looking for. Others, like myself (and likely you), are looking for a more natural, engaging, and colored sound which makes the listening experience unique and exciting. Some people value neutrality, while others value a sound that engulfs you with lush and intimate music.

 

[Kunlun]

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BTW, I also just received a pair of the new RE262 by Hifiman and my impressions of them are also very different from those of most people - most say they sound good unamped and have some of the best mids out there in universal IEMs on par with SE530. To my ears they sound bland and dull unamped with poor instrument separation, very little sense of space, slight muddiness, shallow bass with little depth, suppressed treble, somewhat compressed dynamics you name it. And like I said my HD555 and FA-003 and UE Super.fi 3 still sound just fine to me, so nothing is wrong with my ears. Must be something mental I guess. Am I going nuts then?

Not at all! I was totally unimpressed by the RE262 during the brief listen I had with them--and, what's more, I heard them exactly as you did!

 

 

[mywallethurts]

Quote:

Quote:

BTW, I also just received a pair of the new RE262 by Hifiman and my impressions of them are also very different from those of most people - most say they sound good unamped and have some of the best mids out there in universal IEMs on par with SE530. To my ears they sound bland and dull unamped with poor instrument separation, very little sense of space, slight muddiness, shallow bass with little depth, suppressed treble, somewhat compressed dynamics you name it. And like I said my HD555 and FA-003 and UE Super.fi 3 still sound just fine to me, so nothing is wrong with my ears. Must be something mental I guess. Am I going nuts then?

Not at all! I was totally unimpressed by the RE262 during the brief listen I had with them--and, what's more, I heard them exactly as you did!

 

both of you either have a bad fit or tip selection problem. try the large stock bi flange. it seals up best