[the search never ends]

Thanks for the great review Tai!  Very nicely done, I love that you always follow up answering questions as openly and honestly as posible!

 

[snip3r77]

clieos, may I know if the bass for the eterna v2 is lesser as I feel the v1 is too bassy for me and I might appreciate the v2 more OR should I go with the RE0? 

 

[Leavenfish]

Quote:

The problem with numeric ranking system is that it will run out of space eventually as the data continue to pile up. While I find DBA-02 give better resolution and more dynamic than Phonak, the aggressiveness of the presentation becomes a concern when I compare it to the very natural sounding e-Q7. I believe most people (whom are mainly not analytical listener) will appreciate e-Q7 sound signature over than of DBA-02, and so that reflects in the final ranking. 

Agreed about numeric rankings...all the more reason to revamp your system and chose 1-10 instead (?)...that would give you more room.
 
You mention that the DBA-02 had "better resolution and more dynamic than Phonak"...must be pretty good since in the Phonak review you said that with the grey filters they were "great in resolution".
 
Could you comment on this "agressiveness of the presentation"? I mean, make it a bit more understandable for we laymen? Is it a certain type of music this concern manifests itself in or...well, I just don't fully understand what you might be getting at. I would appreciate it - I've been holding off on the Phonaks until your review on the DBA-02's came in and it almost seems like a toss up as concerns which to pair with my Rockboxed Sansa Clip or Fuze.
 

 
Phonak gets better score for having a very good packaging, good selection of accessories, outstanding two years warranty and an (proven) excellent customer service. Those are the 'extra' bits that give it a higher score.

The other stuff I agree with, but I've always wondered why packaging really counts for much. It's always seemed to me the type of thing an impressionable 16 yr old girl would be interested in. Of course, 16 yr old girls matter too...especially to 16 yr old boys....

 

 

[ClieOS]

Quote:

clieos, may I know if the bass for the eterna v2 is lesser as I feel the v1 is too bassy for me and I might appreciate the v2 more OR should I go with the RE0? 

If you fee the V1 is too bassy than V2 will be more suitable, but then again for its performance I think there are a few more option available in the same price range. RE0 is great is you want a neutral and very detail sound, but my concern is that you might find it lacking enough bass for you. I think the first thing to do is to figure out what kind of sound you are looking for.

 

[snip3r77]

I'm not a bassy person, I need the bass tight quality correct bass ,good isolation though since I move around quite a bit with the earphones. If I change the default tips for REO, would it improve the isolation and maybe also the bass. I like neutral and detail sound and it would be very enjoyable for me if I can listen to details that is unheard of.
 
As what you said, what else should I be considering at $80 price range.

 

[ClieOS]

Quote:

Agreed about numeric rankings...all the more reason to revamp your system and chose 1-10 instead (?)...that would give you more room.
 
You mention that the DBA-02 had "better resolution and more dynamic than Phonak"...must be pretty good since in the Phonak review you said that with the grey filters they were "great in resolution".
 
Could you comment on this "agressiveness of the presentation"? I mean, make it a bit more understandable for we laymen? Is it a certain type of music this concern manifests itself in or...well, I just don't fully understand what you might be getting at. I would appreciate it - I've been holding off on the Phonaks until your review on the DBA-02's came in and it almost seems like a toss up as concerns which to pair with my Rockboxed Sansa Clip or Fuze.
 

The other stuff I agree with, but I've always wondered why packaging really counts for much. It's always seemed to me the type of thing an impressionable 16 yr old girl would be interested in. Of course, 16 yr old girls matter too...especially to 16 yr old boys....

 

By aggressiveness, I am referring to both the fast speed and high sparkliness on the presenting detail. In other word, how 'busy' it is, i.e. where there is so much detail and sparkle that it kind of overwhelms your ability to differentiate them. It is like too much highlighting in a book that makes picking up a certain point of interest difficult. The ideal situation will be to have just enough highlight that makes it easier to skip a few pages yet get the rough idea, and that will be the 'optimum resolution'. You will notice this issue on busier and brighter music, as you will get fatigue faster when the music requires too much of your attention, especially if you are not an analytical listener to begin with. To combat this issue, listen to the music in lower than normal volume is usually a very effective way.

 

[ClieOS]

Quote:

I'm not a bassy person, I need the bass tight quality correct bass ,good isolation though since I move around quite a bit with the earphones. If I change the default tips for REO, would it improve the isolation and maybe also the bass. I like neutral and detail sound and it would be very enjoyable for me if I can listen to details that is unheard of.
 
As what you said, what else should I be considering at $80 price range.

If bass is not an issue and you like a neutral and detail sound, then RE0 probably will match your need. However, the isolation will not be great  even if you change the eartips. It is only average at about -20dB.
 

 

[rawrster]

Your description of the dba makes it sound very similar to the CK10. It's a shame you don't have them to compare. I have a feeling they won't be very different. Another analytical phone for my collection

 

[slaters70]

Just as an FYI, I found the DBA-02s somewhat harsh with the OEM tips (could have been an insertion depth issue), but then I tried out a pair of Ety tri-flanges for kicks, and they turned out to be the perfect tip for me with the Fischers. Now, never a sibilant note nor overaggressive treble. They are smooth, well defined, and really crisp across the spectrum. Just wanted to let any potential buyers know that they can change with tip selection, and I highly recommend those Ety tips (not too bad in terms of comfort at all, in fact very comfy with the DBA design).
 
For CK10 owners, a friend of mine has the CK10s, and I tried them. To me, the DBAs are more balanced and the bass more pronounced. But the DBA detail and soundstage is really on par with the CK10s, depending on source (I am using the S:flo2 primarily with flac files, and the Fuze now and then).
 
I agree with ClieOS assessment that they are indeed a tremendous value. Good review, but hope the "a" word doesn't scare anyone. They are very, very good IEMs, top tier for sure.

 

[mvw2]

snip3r77, if you have access to a reasonable EQ, you can flatten out the Eterna very easily.  Really it shares the same fate as the Triple.Fi 10 and IE8.  It simply has a mildly bumped higher bass and low midrange presence.  Unfortunately, this can be overwhelming at times yet is also easily fixable.  If you can do a broad EQ cut of around 4dB at 100Hz, that bass emphasis will go away.  The same happens with the bass heavy IE8 and the lower midrange and treble heavy Triple.Fi 10.  None of these have massive response peaks, but they do create the perceived presentation that is sometimes unliked.  A little EQing can go a long way, and in many cases this can give you entirely different presentations.  One thing I have attempted in my own searches as well as reviews is compare earphones on an equal ground, i.e. EQ each to their own (ear) flat and compare raw characteristics between each outside of the skew that frequency response can create.   You will typically hear an earphone in a better light than normally presented.  I have found that most earphones do benefit from EQing, even ones that are really well balanced in the first place.  As well, some of the ones that are not all that well balanced can show you a whole new sound you never though possible.

 

[ClieOS]

Quote:

Just as an FYI, I found the DBA-02s somewhat harsh with the OEM tips (could have been an insertion depth issue), but then I tried out a pair of Ety tri-flanges for kicks, and they turned out to be the perfect tip for me with the Fischers. Now, never a sibilant note nor overaggressive treble. They are smooth, well defined, and really crisp across the spectrum. Just wanted to let any potential buyers know that they can change with tip selection, and I highly recommend those Ety tips (not too bad in terms of comfort at all, in fact very comfy with the DBA design).
 
For CK10 owners, a friend of mine has the CK10s, and I tried them. To me, the DBAs are more balanced and the bass more pronounced. But the DBA detail and soundstage is really on par with the CK10s, depending on source (I am using the S:flo2 primarily with flac files, and the Fuze now and then).
 
I agree with ClieOS assessment that they are indeed a tremendous value. Good review, but hope the "a" word doesn't scare anyone. They are very, very good IEMs, top tier for sure.

Good recommendation on the tri-flange. I tried mine on DBA-02 and indeed it tunes down the overall harshness while retains most of teh detail. I will have some Comply coming to me in a few weeks and I will report back if they work well with DBA-02.
 
On the other hand, this is somewhat important:
[UPDATE] I got words that the new Eterna I have could very well be a beta unit which might not be the same as the new revised version due to some shipping error. So this basically throw most of the conclusion I have out of the window and back to square one. I will keep the review intact but please read it with a grain of salt (not that you shouldn't in any review).

 

[chinesekiwi]

 
Quote:

 
As far as sound signature is concerned, e-Q7 and DBA-02 is totally different. While e-Q7 is smooth, dynamic, a little warm with a good bodied bass, DBA-02 is more analytical, bright and aggressive with good resolution but fast bass which is more typical of BA driver. I would rank DBA-02 just a little under e-Q7 actually in overall performance, but still among top-tier. Of course the main thing of concern is which kind of sound signature you are looking for. e-Q7's sound has the blessing of both dynamic and BA transducer, while DBA-02 sound is obviously very BA-like.
 

Good to know. I'll probably get the e-Q7 then, even though the DBA-02 is probably better value. BA's I tend to not like due to the lack of timbre issue and midrange focus.
 

 

[snip3r77]

Thanks for the update =)
 
By the way, may I know about the alternatives? I'm using an iPhone as the source BTW.

 

[jycheang]

Can you share with us about comparison with Etymotic ER4P and Altec Lansing iM716?
analytical sound signature, bass and so on.

 

[ClieOS]

Quote:

By the way, may I know about the alternatives? I'm using an iPhone as the source BTW.

What do you mean by 'alternative'? Same level of IEM? There are at least a dozen top tier that can be the alternative, check out average_joe's top tier thread for more detail. I would recommend you find out the sound signature you prefer first.
 
Quote:

Can you share with us about comparison with Etymotic ER4P and Altec Lansing iM716?
analytical sound signature, bass and so on.

Treble wise, DBA-02 actually extends further up and in comparison, ER4P sounds much smoother and less in-you-face. Mid is almost a tight, DBA-02 has more texture but harsher on the upper region. Bass wise DBA-02 is better, both in quantity and quality. While they are both analytical sounding, ER4P is more neutral (naturally) while DBA-02 is more aggressive, that's the main difference. As for iM716, it simply can't keep up with the other two so there is no need for comparison.