[MaloS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elephas /img/forum/go_quote.gif Just an observation, not trying to nit-pick. This doesn't sound like a baby crying to me, it sounds like a woman saying, "Aaaaaaaah," on the left side. Could even be Patricia herself. It's a very obvious sound and I don't think that hearing it means there's a lot of detail. Edit: I continued listening and Track 8 at 3:20 has a similar "Aaaah," that's a bit shorter in duration.

I can perceive equal amount of detail on all the headphones I used so far save HE90 and R10, its a matter of how obvious the headphones makes the detail, not how much it offers I think... The sound is most likely Patricia herself, the type of screams are classic in Jazz.

 

[tuatara]

Nice review.
Getting the fit right is worth it, I think they're a fine headphone for certain types of music.
Every time I look at them I marvel at the finish and engineering.
Paired with the Corda Move they make a nice portable set for holidays .

 

[Macwizard]

Could these be used at the gym or for running? How snug is the fit and your thoughts on isolation? Any idea what the source of the soreness is from?

 

[en480c4]

Mine stay snug, but I wouldn't use them at the gym or for running. How snug they fit seems to have a lot to do with with ear size and shape.

As for isolation, there is essentially none. For a closed phone, they do leak some and offer no isolation, behaving more like an open phone than a closed one.

 

[MaloS]

Ya, they have no isolation, it is a clip-on. Also as mentioned, I used them for multiple physical activities, they stay on, for me at least. The soreness can come (for me after like 5 hours, depends on how neatly you fit them on) from the fact that the mechanics is pretty damn thin, so if it moves a bit much, it can have adverse effects on the top of your ears.

 

[Happy Camper]

Nice review. I have had them for about 8 mos. now. I use them in environments where I need to hear staff or patients. I listen to mostly acoustic rock and progressive rock (70s). I find them very enjoyable. The soreness comes from the clip squeezing down on the ear at the pivot of the stem. I have bent the metal a little and took the pressure off. These slide up and down on the stem to put the pressure to the right point to position the driver over the ear canal. I didn't figure this out for a few months. Now that I know how to adjust them, I have no problem with movement and keeping them on. I use them to do yard work and walking.

They do not have the bass depth that a full can has but has better bass than the etys (4s). Most all string and woodwind music is a joy to listen to. Very clear and not fatiguing. Ambient music is also a joy. If you are just looking for an entertaining experience, these do well. If you want to listen critically, maybe not. The ipod drives them fine. An amp isn't needed (though the xin amps make them sound pretty good with the bass boost). Micro Center has them on demo if one is near. The AT sticks and metal series have better bass but I don't think they sound as good as the wood in the mid/treble range. I attribute this to the wood. I also think the wood is the reason why the bass isn't as strong. If you cup the hands over them, the bass is there. The same driver is used on the metal and wood. They also get compliments on the looks. I wish that the cord was maybe 6 inches longer. They come with an extension but wouldn't be needed with a hip dap with just a little more cord.

 

[Assorted]

I am amazed by how comfortable these are, and how cool they look. As for the sound, I found them a bit too harsh in the highs and lacking bass, both control and volume. But going back to the Senns after giving the EW9s a good listen, I finally "heard" the Sennheiser veil. I am very happy with these.

I'm going to have them recabled at Apuresound, so we'll see how much more cool it gets

I never liked the j-cord anyway.

 

[MaloS]

Play around with the fit more. Sometimes I think they are harsh, but there are other times I feel the bass is great. It will depend on the music, but if you get familiar with fitting them correctly, the best should be fine for classical/jazz.

 

[antonyfirst]

Assorted, did you perceive any changes in the sound after the recable?

 

[steviebee]

Very nice review, thanks! I've been wondering about these for awhile....sounds like I should definitely keep them on my list!

Cheers

 

[MaloS]

Assorted, please let us know how the recable went =]

I just fired up a Tomahawk with these - very nice combination, smooth and liquid. I did not expect that effect on the EW9, very pleasant.

 

[onvn]

Hey guys,

I just received my EW9 and initially, I had the same impression with everybody else -- they are bright as hell!

..and I played with the fitting a bit and got the sound about right but still is classified as bright. They are very, VERY detailed. I don't know if it is because of the treble which alters my perception of detail or what but music sound sooooooooooooooo detailed (which is good, i guess). What I like about these babies is their detailed, 'open' sound and its capabilities to achieve the imaging of full-size cans (well, not to the extent). What I don't like however, the hassle to get the absolute right fit to sound good. They are excruciating to listen to when I don't get the right fit. Pushing them closer to the ear helps a lot, provided they stay there..

Anybody got tips on getting the fit or mods to lessen the effect of the high treble impact?

 

[MaloS]

The more pressed in, the better they work in theory. Try to use the fact that the clip itself can be pivoted up and down, not just left and right, to lower the headphone enough to aim directly into your ear.

 

[onvn]

Even the best fitting present a bright sound, so I guess these are, by nature, bright. Burn-in helps a bit but only minutely. To those who own these, does using an impedance adaptor change anything? If so, how?

I just don't like the fact that they are J-cords - annoying as hell. As to the sonic improvements with recabling, I'm a skeptic about cables but a curious skeptic. I might get these recabled at APureSound, to get the Y-cabling and of course out of curiosity, or maybe DIY. I had the courage today to open up the wood backing and it seems straight forward to recable. However, I don't have any sources on cabling/wire -- any ideas?

Anyway, they are a joy to listen to. Very detailed, combined with their warm, 'realistic' mids and despite their set-backs, these little clip-ons did exceed my expectations of what a such a small package can achieve, sound-wise.

 

[MiguelATF]

Nice review MaloS - in particular really nicely written! Your use of metaphors, imagery and your writing style makes the headphones come alive on the written page - thanks for doing this dude!