Jul 30, 2009 at 10:12 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 23

Badsam

100+ Head-Fier
Joined
Jul 27, 2009
Posts
135
Likes
15
Hi, I think I'm going to buy a pair of these (Head Direct RE-0) Tomorrow but I had a couple of questions first - just wondered if anyone knew the answers to them.

1. The general sound signature of the RE0 is neutral and analytical I think? it is very strong and clear highs and mids yet lacks in bass


How will these pair with a DAP/MP3 player that has a warm bassy sound sig?


Will the RE0 get all the bass and warmth it lacks from the player somehow or will it just screw up all the sound?



and the other question -


2. Is the only seller that comes up when you search RE0 on Ebay (Name = headdirector) is that the offical Ebay store for head direct itself?


It sells them at the same price as the main head direct site, so I'm thinking buying from the Ebay one instead as it ships from the US instead of China or wherever, meaning it -should- arrive faster by buying from Ebay.


US -> UK instead of China -> UK


Thanks




Edit - Also does that EQ setting Sony walkmans have called "ClearBass" actually do anything worthwhile? if the bass it supplies is actually strong and clear then that should be able to fix the RE0's lack of bass right?
 
Jul 30, 2009 at 10:20 PM Post #2 of 23
1. it will not screw up the sound, if anything, it'd make them sound warmer because they are very neutral

2. yes that is head-direct, i always buy from ebay for the cashback, but whether you order from ebay or their site, they ship based on ur location so it doesn't really matter

3. clearbass sounds like it'd do wonders for the re0
 
Jul 30, 2009 at 10:25 PM Post #3 of 23
The RE0 will pair fine with a warm player. It will not "screw up" the sound. The overall sound sig will be more neutral than if you pair with with a cold player such as a Cowon D2.

Keep in mind that these WILL expose the weaknesses of a poor player as well as poor source material. I have never been able to tell the difference between 192kbps mp3 and lossless very well until I got my hands on the RE0s.

And yes, head-director is the official ebay store of head-direct, but I don't know if they will always ship from NY if you buy from the ebay store instead of their site.

I am not familiar with walkmans but tend to shy away from equalizers period. Some will disagree with me.

Edit: wow, beaten by a whole 5 mins. Got distracted by work.
 
Jul 30, 2009 at 11:48 PM Post #4 of 23
Thanks for those replies above


Even the player itself has made a big difference on SQ I think, music at just 128kbs on my previous player (iPod) sounded good but sounds really bad on the new Sony so I had to go through all my music again re-doing it at 320kbs V0 or WAV, I'm hoping these RE0's will improve it even more
normal_smile .gif
 
Jul 31, 2009 at 12:28 AM Post #6 of 23
I was going to wait around a little to really make sure I wanted to pay the price for them (£70) vs my current earphones that cost a super cheap £15 lol
tongue_smile.gif


But with so many people pleased after buying them they seem really good for the current half price they are at so I think I'll just take my first big purchase and go for them
happy_face1.gif
 
Jul 31, 2009 at 12:47 AM Post #7 of 23
Just an FYI, I think the sound on mine is just about now evening out after about 200 hrs of use. I'm planning to pick up a new pair to prove once and for all (at least to myself) that burn-in has a massive effect. They sound much smoother now, with less emphasis on the high end and deeper extension on the low end. Absolutely gorgeous sound out of a warmer player (such as my iPod 5G) and very precise and clinical (but not involving) sound from a cold(er) Cowon D2.
 
Jul 31, 2009 at 1:45 AM Post #8 of 23
ljokerl does the RE0 benefit much from amping with the fiio E5?

I'll probably pick one up anyway as they only cost about £10 but just wondered if the difference using it makes it quite significant or not really
confused_face(1).gif
 
Jul 31, 2009 at 1:54 AM Post #9 of 23
Quote:

Originally Posted by Badsam /img/forum/go_quote.gif
ljokerl does the RE0 benefit much from amping with the fiio E5?

I'll probably pick one up anyway as they only cost about £10 but just wondered if the difference using it makes it quite significant or not really
confused_face(1).gif



It depends on your definition of "benefit". I prefer no amp at all to the E5 because the bass boost and extra warmth that the E5 delivers come at the expense of detail, especially noticeably at the upper end.

That is not to say the RE0 don't benefit from amping - they do - but pairing a $100 (or $240 if you consider original price) pair of heaphones with a $15 amp is considered by many to be sonic blasphemy.

That said, he E5 is a nice gadget to have around and I have found multiple uses for it at home. Just not inbetween my RE0s and DAP.
 
Jul 31, 2009 at 10:12 AM Post #10 of 23
I never knew these were really $240 at one point
eek.gif



Are they considered low high end IEM's or just really high end mid range IEM's? in terms or SQ/Price


I think my current CX500's are really low end as they were

1. Only £15

and

2. Any good SQ there is, is totally ruined by the excessive masses of bass on every single song because they have so much muddy overblown bass - the only way to fix it is using the equalizer which I don't really like doing
 
Jul 31, 2009 at 2:14 PM Post #12 of 23
I use mine with iBasso T4 most of the time now, was on the E5 for a while which I don't mind exchanging a little bit of detail for the extra warmness. The most expensive gear doesn't always serve best for a particular purpose. As long as you like what you hear, the price doesn't really matter much.
 
Jul 31, 2009 at 2:46 PM Post #13 of 23
Thanks ClieOS, it was actually your reviews and those IEM "shootout" threads of yours that led me to the RE0's in the first place lol.

Before these I was set on Shure E2C's but these seemed to offer a lot more for a bit more money so I ordered these
 
Jul 31, 2009 at 3:21 PM Post #14 of 23
Quote:

Originally Posted by Badsam /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I never knew these were really $240 at one point
eek.gif



Are they considered low high end IEM's or just really high end mid range IEM's? in terms or SQ/Price


I think my current CX500's are really low end as they were

1. Only £15

and

2. Any good SQ there is, is totally ruined by the excessive masses of bass on every single song because they have so much muddy overblown bass - the only way to fix it is using the equalizer which I don't really like doing



The RE0 are high-end IEMs. The CX500s are low-end (and are notorious for the bass).
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top