[jean-paul]

Hello!
 
I have a HD555 and I'd like to buy a new in ear. If possible I'd like something with a better sound quality. I planned to buy a RE0 but I don't really know if they will be better than my HD555? It's in my budget and I read very good reviews about it for a portable application but if I want to use it instead of my HD555 for a desktop use I know really know.
 
My DAC/Amp is a Fiio E7.
 
 
Thanks,
Jean-Paul

 

[utkusu]

I have neither but I have close competition for both. I am pretty sure RE0s will have much cleaner and accurate sound than the HD555s. IEMs generally give you more detail and clarity for your money, especially RE0. But I am not sure I would use RE0s for a desktop: full size headphones give you much more head space and real sense of music flowing around you like the loud speakers would, or at least closer compared to IEMS. IEMs are much more intimate and feel too much in your head. A lot of people find IEMs not too comfortable to wear all the time, you might be one of those folks, too. But if you don't mind these, then RE0 might be an upgrade over HD555s. You should maybe wait people with both to chime in before you make a decision, especially considering I am still newbie in this thing.

 

[Koopa989]

 
i have both and i would rather use my hd555's over my RE0 for my computers any day. for music, theyre about even. the RE0 are very clear but are thin sounding and dont have much bass. the hd555's dont match in clarity but the soundstage is very wide and the signature is overall more balanced, but the difference between the two isnt very big overall.
 

 

[Pianist]

RE0 is more clear, refined, detailed and extended in the treble. HD555 has deeper bass, wider dynamic range and better soundstage, but with a good source and amp RE0 can come pretty close to HD555 in these areas too. I think RE0 is the better headphone overall and is also a better value since it's cheaper.

 

[jean-paul]

If I compare the soundstage to my EP630, they are quite close (for music). Actually it depends how I put my headphone on my ear but most of the time it's the same. And I don't find it very wide compared to speakers.
 
I can listen to music several hours with my HD555 but not with IEM, it's less confortable. I plan to use the RE0 (if I buy these ones) to replace my EP630 for a portable use and sometimes use it for at my desktop.
 
Pianist, what do you think of the RE0 compared to the Super fi 3?
 
So to sum up the quality is very close and it's a good choice for a portable application but for desktop it would be better to buy headphones?
 
 
Thanks.

 

[Pianist]

Quote:

If I compare the soundstage to my EP630, they are quite close (for music). Actually it depends how I put my headphone on my ear but most of the time it's the same. And I don't find it very wide compared to speakers.
 
I can listen to music several hours with my HD555 but not with IEM, it's less confortable. I plan to use the RE0 (if I buy these ones) to replace my EP630 for a portable use and sometimes use it for at my desktop.
 
Pianist, what do you think of the RE0 compared to the Super fi 3?
 
So to sum up the quality is very close and it's a good choice for a portable application but for desktop it would be better to buy headphones?
 
 
Thanks.

 
RE0 is a better sounding IEM than the Super.fi 3 by a good margin. It is much more refined, extended, detailed.
 
Personally, I actually prefer IEMs for using at home as well because they are so small and light. It's just a matter of preference IMO because RE0 can compete with many full sized headphones costing 2-3 times as much. The soundstage of full sized cans is overrated IMO. They are still just headphones strapped to your ears so you shouldn't expect speaker like presentation from almost all, but the most expensive headphones.

 

[kmhaynes]

I've only heard it once, a couple of years ago, but the Sennheiser IE6 is probably very similar sounding to the HD555 -- both have a fairly expansive soundstage, good bass, and a smooth, laid back sound.

 

[Koopa989]

Quote:

 
So to sum up the quality is very close and it's a good choice for a portable application but for desktop it would be better to buy headphones?
 
 
Thanks.

i game alot and watch movies sometimes and thats the main reason why i go with the hd555's, actually theyre much more comfortable to wear also than any iem ive used.
 
if you really want an iem, i would search around some more for something else with a better midrange than the RE0, they really are thin sounding compared to my DBA-02 and Miles Davis iems especially. im not sure what to suggest at the moment(maybe Brainwavz M3, RE-Zero or Xcapes) but i think you should go with a different iem than the RE0. of course this is just my own opinion.
 
 

 

[jean-paul]

Actually I'm not looking only for an IEM. I read that the RE0 has the same SQ then $150-200 IEMs so I thought that it might be better quality than my HD555. I don't think I can have a better headphone for ~$150 but maybe an IEM.
 
How are the RE-ZERO? Is it really better than the RE0 and not only a RE0 with balanced input?
 
The problem with my HD555 is that the soundstage doesn't look much wider than my EP630 for me. And the bass are a little bit absent (but with the bass boost of my E7 it's perfect).
 
 

 

[Koopa989]

Quote:

Actually I'm not looking only for an IEM. I read that the RE0 has the same SQ then $150-200 IEMs so I thought that it might be better quality than my HD555. I don't think I can have a better headphone for ~$150 but maybe an IEM.
 
How are the RE-ZERO? Is it really better than the RE0 and not only a RE0 with balanced input?
 
The problem with my HD555 is that the soundstage doesn't look much wider than my EP630 for me. And the bass are a little bit absent (but with the bass boost of my E7 it's perfect).
 
 

i havent listened to the Zero's myself so i cant say if theyre better. i just heard that they may be more balanced with a better midrange so they sound like a better option on paper than the RE0.
 
if youre not only looking for an iem, then ill let you know how the Audio Technica ath-m50 sound compared to the HD555's. i should be getting my own pair today and theyre only around $115 online.
 

 

[psgarcha92]

I've been through the ZERO vs 0s confusion alot. and, i can say, auditioning them for around 2 minutes just wont be enough to decide which one is better. so better Loan one from a friend maybe, And Listen closely. i personally love the 0s, they have a thin sound, but the ZEROs sound thicker to me (not much of my taste). so go for whichever u like.

 

[Pianist]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Koopa989 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
if you really want an iem, i would search around some more for something else with a better midrange than the RE0, they really are thin sounding compared to my DBA-02 and Miles Davis iems especially. im not sure what to suggest at the moment(maybe Brainwavz M3, RE-Zero or Xcapes) but i think you should go with a different iem than the RE0. of course this is just my own opinion.
 

 
I disagree. I think RE0 has great midrange and is not thin at all. Make sure you get a good fit and also make sure that your source is up to par. RE0 is not easy to drive and benefits a lot from good sources and amplification. Compared to DBA-02, I would rate the mids on RE0 on par with them, while the highs are better on RE0. DBA-02 wins in the bass, speed and clarity, but marginally IMO. RE0 is a better value and is overall on par with DBA-02 if not better to these ears with a good fit and source.

 

[Koopa989]

Quote:

 
I disagree. I think RE0 has great midrange and is not thin at all. Make sure you get a good fit and also make sure that your source is up to par. RE0 is not easy to drive and benefits a lot from good sources and amplification. Compared to DBA-02, I would rate the mids on RE0 on par with them, while the highs are better on RE0. DBA-02 wins in the bass, speed and clarity, but marginally IMO. RE0 is a better value and is overall on par with DBA-02 if not better to these ears with a good fit and source.

i noticed that you do not have a pair of RE0's anymore. you should get another pair and A/B them with the DBA-02. no offence but i think your memory of what the RE0 sounds like is deceiving you. i have them both and use an S:flo2 unamped at the moment and the two side by side reveals a big difference in their signatures. the midrange on the DBA's by themselves make the RE0 sound distant and, again...thin...and i have alot more listening time with the RE0's than the DBA's by far. not to mention the bass...its def more than 'marginally' better from the DBA's.
 
so yeah, i fully disagree with everything you say. you really should try another pair of RE0's to refresh your memory, im confident that your opinion will change about them.
 

 

[Pianist]

Quote:

i noticed that you do not have a pair of RE0's anymore. you should get another pair and A/B them with the DBA-02. no offence but i think your memory of what the RE0 sounds like is deceiving you. i have them both and use an S:flo2 unamped at the moment and the two side by side reveals a big difference in their signatures. the midrange on the DBA's by themselves make the RE0 sound distant and, again...thin...and i have alot more listening time with the RE0's than the DBA's by far. not to mention the bass...its def more than 'marginally' better from the DBA's.
 
so yeah, i fully disagree with everything you say. you really should try another pair of RE0's to refresh your memory, im confident that your opinion will change about them.

 
With the stock large dual flange silicone tips, I actually found the mids on RE0 a tad too pronounced for my taste with some sources, so no - I don't think the mids on RE0 are recessed at all. The mids on DBA-02 are also just right, but its treble can get a bit overly present at times around 8 kHz. RE0 is more neutral and delicate in the treble. RE0 also has a more polite, delicate bass response out of a good source. DBA-02 has deeper bass, but it does not portray subtlety in some of my smooth jazz recordings as well as RE0 did. Overall, I feel that DBA-02 is dryer, more forward, clearer, faster, more focused in its imaging, but less delicate and refined. RE0 is smoother, more laid back, more delicate and refined, less energetic, but more subtle, slightly slower, maybe a tiny bit less clear (but that's debatable), but a warmer more rounded sounding IEM overall that's better suited for slow, smooth instrumental music. Another way to compare them is to say that DBA-02 sounds more digital - sharper, more transparent, more detailed - while RE0 sounds more analog - warmer, smoother, less precise, but more musical.

 

[jean-paul]

So the RE0 can be a good choice to upgrade my portable system to almost the same quality than my desktop. What do you advice to me if I want to upgrade my desktop? What is better than the HD555 (I don't want to change my amp which is a Fiio E7 and spend more than $200)!

Thanks!