[esanthosh]

Almost all Hifiman IEMs come with the standard set of three single flanges (S,M, L) and two sizes of bi-flanges + Filters.
 
Give it about 50 hours of burn-in / brain burn-in / listening. With RE0 (which was my second IEM after EP-630), it took me about 20-25 hours to get used to the signature. At about 40-60 hour mark, I began liking them more. YMMV, of course

 

[Sengoku79]

My two cents, I have an e7 and the re-zero's as my main portable phones with klipsch x10s for home use, I have to say I love the re-zeros the speed is incredible as are the mids, I am also getting a pair of re-262's so will post how I get on with these.

I have to say the zeros are fantastic through the e7 and i would definitely recommend them for anyone buying a new set of phones

Also zococity.es has them on sale for €40 and has just launched it's English site, they also sell the Dba-02.

I still love my klipsch x10s but they get a lot less using time now.

 

[proedros]

If you like the RE-zero , you should try the RE-252

 
as much as i liked the zeros , when i got the 252...end of game.the zeros are 3 months now gathering dust
 
I also have the 262 , which have better mids than the 252 but not so perfect highs but i like them both depending on what kind of sound i want to hear.
 
Imo , hifiman is top-of the chain iem company - i can't wait for their RE-272 model to emerge

 

[esanthosh]

My subjective opinion and personal preference: CK10 > DBA-02 >= RE262 > RE252 > RE-ZERO > RE0.
 
The natural upgrade path is RE0/ZERO -> RE-252 -> Probably RE272.
 
RE262 is superior to RE252, but it's coloration is not suited for my tastes. Like mvw2 mentioned, I like it's loud and clear driver very much. It's presentation, which sounds 'out of ear' and not 'walled' is also something I loved when I had them on loan. But in the end, it's personal preferences that matter. Over a period of time, I realized that I actually prefer the mids of 252 over 262 and like it's balanced presentation more. I am not a big fan of RE252's fit and cable quality, though the gummys soften up over time and fit has actually got better. Based on initial impressions, RE272 is something worth waiting for. I am waiting to see how it does treble.
 
CK10 is technically better as well as more relaxing to listen to than DBA-02. But, despite whatever technical drawbacks DBA-02 has, I do like it's aggressive presentation and speed more than the REXXX. CK10's 10Khz spike/bump does not bother me, but might be difficult for many to adapt to (nothing an EQ can't tame though). While I'd agree with mvw2's comparisons of CK10 and DBA-02 by and large, I don't find DBA-02 to be too different from CK10 - just a slightly different approach to tuning. DBA-02's bass is not as bad either, it sounds natural enough for most genres, just not as filled or extended as CK10.
 
I actually thought of recommending DBA-02 (which I'd say is RE0 v1.5), but the availability and that bit of bright & aggressive presentation made me rethink. Besides, is it not the motto of head-fi to make people sorry that they even have a wallet. I am already waiting for OP's next upgrade thread

 

[BrianMB]

Quote:

I'm pretty new to all of this, but after a few posts and a lot of scrolling through (see: trolling) the different areas of this site I have learned a lot. I've decided to go with a sansa clip+ so I can spend some more money elsewhere. My two main choices are:
 
RE-ZERO with Fiio E5 amp and sony hybrid tips
 
or
 
DBA-02s.
 
This is a difficult decision for me. Both IEMs seem to have strong supporters and both seem to have a sound signature I'm looking for. It's really a shame I can't try these out first! 
 
If it helps, I listen to progressive metal, death metal, and so on more than I do any other form of music, though my music library in total spans a very wide range of genres. Would either one of these be more fit towards metal? Otherwise, which do you think would be the best investment for me? I'm sure I'll be happy with either one, but at this point it was either a coin flip or ask the forums! Thanks for all the help this community has been to me! 

 

When I read this the other day, I thought to myself, this might as well have been me posting! Although I'm using a different source (iPhone4), my choices were nearly identical. The RE-Zeros, the DBA-02s, and I was also looking at the Etymotic mc/hf3. My daily listening from track to track anywhere from old Metallica, to a Hans Zimmer soundtrack, to St Germain, to Disturbed and Swallow the Sun to name a few. At this point, read 6 hours ago, I've picked up a pair of hf3s and setup my tips (large triple flange) and have been listening a bit. I'm extremely impressed with the sound quality that I've gotten so far! I'm looking forward to hearing what the OP has to say about their purchase of the RE-Zeros!

 

[TuNeCedeMalis]

Lot of good info since I went to work. I don't even have my zeros in yet and here I am discussing upgrades...once I get them in, let them burn in, and get a feel for them I will post my first impressions of my first IEMs. I have a feeling that my next pair will be laughably soon...and it will probably be between DBA-02s or CK10s...then again I'm interested in the 252s now....see what you've done! 
 
 
"Screw all of you"
Sincerely,
 
 
The OPs wallet checking account.

 

[BrianMB]

lmao! I'm in the same boat I think! Like I said when I read your initial post in this thread, I almost thought it was me posting. Since buying my hf3s, I've listened to anything from Swallow the Sun, Broken Army (local metalcore), and the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtracks (all 3) sound is exactly what I would expect on all 3. All in all so far very happy! and the ride on the bus which was about 35-40minutes this morning, almost no drone from the engine or din from the people around me!

 

[TuNeCedeMalis]

This thread is no longer relevant as I've received the ZEROs! For those interested in my first impressions of them, I posted it here! Please share any and all of your thoughts.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/544165/first-impressions-of-the-hifiman-re-zeros-first-pair-of-iems#post_7336585