[Anaxilus]

Quote:

The DBa-02/S:flo2 combo got me where I wanted to be in terms of SQ. I prefer the SQ of the S:flo2 over my rockboxed Cowon X5 and Sanza clip and iPod Touch. It would be just awesome if the S:flo2 could be rockboxed as well.  I will soon start selling all my other IEMs, including IE8, UE TF10 (one custom and one stock)  RE-262 and RE0. I have reached the end of my IEM and DAP search for the foreseeable future, hopefully.

Ah yes, I remember when I said that once I got my DBA/Sflo2 setup just so.  Now after my 602/DACPort upgrades the UERM/ES5 are calling.  

 

[Demonic_Pope]

I still prefer the Comply TX-100 over the smallest stock tips. The stock tips gives marginally more bass and the soundstage seems wider, but it lacks texture to me and strangely I hear little sound from the middle- it's mostly from the sides, so it sounds like there is something missing in the center.
 
Can some kind soul list down all the popular tips/sleeves that fit the DBA-02? I will head to a local store and try them all out.

 

[shane55]

Quote:

I still prefer the Comply TX-100 over the smallest stock tips. The stock tips gives marginally more bass and the soundstage seems wider, but it lacks texture to me and strangely I hear little sound from the middle- it's mostly from the sides, so it sounds like there is something missing in the center.
 
Can some kind soul list down all the popular tips/sleeves that fit the DBA-02? I will head to a local store and try them all out.

The best results for me are Comply P-series (standard length), trimmed flat to the core on the insertion side, rolled tight and inserted deep.
Amazing clarity with no loss in the spectrum, plus an increase in the bass.
I find the T(x)-100's to be too short for my ears to create a good seal.
 

 

[FlySweep]

The best results for me are Comply P-series (standard length), trimmed flat to the core on the insertion side, rolled tight and inserted deep.
Amazing clarity with no loss in the spectrum, plus an increase in the bass.
I find the T(x)-100's to be too short for my ears to create a good seal.
 

 
Thanks for your impressions on getting an even better sound & fit from the DBA, Shane55..
 
Pardon my idiocy for a moment though, could you clarify for me what you mean by "trimmed flat to the core" ?  I'm assuming that means trimming the base of the Comply tips (the wider side which slides over the the DBA driver nozzle first) so the peak of the tips (the narrow side that gets inserted in in your ear first) is flush with the DBA driver nozzle opening?
 
Is this correct or am I trimming the wrong side?  I've never had the Comply tips so I have no idea how they fit on the DBAs.. sorry for my lack of understanding.
 
Perhaps I'm completely off base and don't need to trim the base of the Comply's?  Looking at the photos of the P-type tips at Amazon, there is a bit of an overhang at the opening of tips, so maybe you mean to trim this part down to the "core" or driver nozzle opening?
 
Hope this gibberish makes enough sense to sort through..
 
Thanks!

 

[Anaxilus]

Trim the insertion side of your ear, not the nozzle.  So wrong side from what you said.  

 

[shane55]

Quote:

The best results for me are Comply P-series (standard length), trimmed flat to the core on the insertion side, rolled tight and inserted deep.
Amazing clarity with no loss in the spectrum, plus an increase in the bass.
I find the T(x)-100's to be too short for my ears to create a good seal.
 

 
Thanks for your impressions on getting an even better sound & fit from the DBA, Shane55..
 
Pardon my idiocy for a moment though, could you clarify for me what you mean by "trimmed flat to the core" ?  I'm assuming that means trimming the base of the Comply tips (the wider side which slides over the the DBA driver nozzle first) so the peak of the tips (the narrow side that gets inserted in in your ear first) is flush with the DBA driver nozzle opening?
 
Is this correct or am I trimming the wrong side?  I've never had the Comply tips so I have no idea how they fit on the DBAs.. sorry for my lack of understanding.
 
Perhaps I'm completely off base and don't need to trim the base of the Comply's?  Looking at the photos of the P-type tips at Amazon, there is a bit of an overhang at the opening of tips, so maybe you mean to trim this part down to the "core" or driver nozzle opening?
 
Hope this gibberish makes enough sense to sort through..
 
Thanks!

Sir Anaxilus is correct.
As I said in my other post... trim the insertion side. Yes, the overhang. Trim it flat (not beveled) to the plastic core.
The other side is the side that slides on to the stem of the DBA.
 
Roll 'em tight and insert 'em deep. Hold in as they expand. Perfect seal every time.
 
Good luck.
 

 

[FlySweep]

Appreciate the clarification.. thanks Anaxilus & Shane55!
 
I ordered the Klipsch ovals (small & medium/large sizes) and found both to be too small/uncomfortable for my ears.. so here's hoping third time's the charm!

 

[Anaxilus]

Quote:

Appreciate the clarification.. thanks Anaxilus & Shane55!
 
I ordered the Klipsch ovals (small & medium/large sizes) and found both to be too small/uncomfortable for my ears.. so here's hoping third time's the charm!

Hmm, I'm confused at some of these reports.  If they are too small, how are they uncomfortable?  Have you ever worn deep insertion IEMs like Ety or Klipsch before?  With the Klipsch tips you push the DBA's in further so only the nub of the housing shows.  Do you have the oval shape rotated to match the shape of your ear?  I can't imagine them being uncomfortable as they are the most comfortable tip I have ever used.  I've got like 4 plastic baggies full of tips.....

 

[FlySweep]

Quote:

Quote:

Appreciate the clarification.. thanks Anaxilus & Shane55!
 
I ordered the Klipsch ovals (small & medium/large sizes) and found both to be too small/uncomfortable for my ears.. so here's hoping third time's the charm!

Hmm, I'm confused at some of these reports.  If they are too small, how are they uncomfortable?  Have you ever worn deep insertion IEMs like Ety or Klipsch before?  With the Klipsch tips you push the DBA's in further so only the nub of the housing shows.  Do you have the oval shape rotated to match the shape of your ear?  I can't imagine them being uncomfortable as they are the most comfortable tip I have ever used.  I've got like 4 plastic baggies full of tips.....

I've never owned an Ety or a Klipsch.. I have worn deep insertion IEMs w/ tri- & bi-flanges though and understand how they should fit.. I rotated the ovals (both sizes) to match the shape of my ear and got quite a deep insertion but never got a thorough seal.. I know, I was pretty surprised too.  In regards to them being uncomfortable.. after insertion, the inner part of my ears (where the were seated) became quite itchy.Bummer.. I'll keep fiddling with them though until the Complys arrive.. perhaps washing the Klipsch tips might help?
 
Going away from my response to Anaxilus now..
 
Another member mentioned that they found the insertion angle of the DBA as important, if not more important than insertion depth.  I've definitely got to agree with this statement.  It could be possible that some sound characteristic of my DBAs changed tonight (I've logged a good 100 hours on them).. but tonight, I slightly changed the angle at which they sit in my ear (with the stock gray, silicone, single flange tip.. which fit the best) and goodness.. the entire spectrum of the bass was RIGHT THERE.  More specifically, the mid-bass became perfectly present, and the lower bass came through well rounded.. There's an UNDENIABLE warmth that has emerged with my DBAs.  I was amazed.  Listening to Boozoo Bajou's "Coming Home" mix (a fantastic set of heavy modern downtempo-dub-soul/jazz), I had never heard the entire spectrum of bass have such presence, range, and texture through my DBAs.  Karsh Kale & Anoushka Shankar's majestic "Breathing Under Water" felt angelic.  Every nuance of the bass was felt, the warmth from the tablas put a huge smile on my face.  The DBAs have always sounded nice & pleasant as far as the lower frequencies were concerned, but now they have a rich quality and texture to them I had not previously experienced.  Again, this could be attributed to a change in the insertion or a sonic characteristic of the DBAs changed, I;m not sure.. all I know is, they sound different now (and for the better).
 
To make sure I wasn't just hearing things, I ran through a grip of electronica & hip hop tracks I'm very very familiar from a textural and frequency standpoint see if they sounded any different.  Songs and albums on which I am intimately familiar with how the bass drums, high hats, and other instruments should sound.  Surely enough, it felt like I was listening to a set of IEMs that just "opened up."  You're not going to get the impact or slam you would expect from a dynamic driver (this is after all a BA, they don't move that kind of air), but the quality and presence of the entire lower frequencies was really surprising today.  The DBA felt like it became more sensitive to the lower frequencies on EVERYTHING I listened to.  With this newfound warmth, these phones have truly become balanced now.
 
I've said it ad nauseum: I've always really really REALLY like these phones, but tonight, I fell in love with them all over again.. once you get the correct fit, they're about as easy to listen to as anything I've heard.  Another point of emphasis that other owners have mentioned that must be reiterated, these phones are GIGO to tee (Garbage in, Garbage Out).. I found the DBAs quite unforgiving to poorly recorded music/sources but reward your ears mightily when well recorded, high bitrate music is queued up.  You will truly understand what they're capable of.  320Kbps & FLAC all the way with these guys.
 
One more thing.. if you find them to be sibilant, you're NOT getting a good fit.. I guarantee it.  The DBAs are ridiculously crisp from the midrange up to the highest frequencies my ears can recognize and the bass is quick smooth and full, but I never heard any sibilance once I got the correct fit.. the instrument separation will leave you picking your jaws off the ground too.
 
For all those prospective buyers who are on the fence about these: if you think you might enjoy this unique sound signature.. JUST BUY THEM.. they're MOST DEFINITELY worth the wait.

 

[Redmetal1897]

Have to agree with the above post, the angle that you insert and the angle at which you eventually wear them make a massive difference. I was surprised at the bass impact as well the first time I got the right insertion.

 

[aamefford]

I must have gotten lucky - always a good fit with tri flanges or the single flange.  They always sound great.  Not the best IEM I've heard, but the best value I've heard, and good enough that I'm not lusting after anything higher priced again, as far as universals go.  I do see a pair of 1964-T's or Q's or UM Mages (all lower priced but well reviewed customs) in my future, though.  I have custom molded hearing protectors, and they are much more comfortable than universal iem's.  As for universals, the DBA-02 is the sweet spot for me.  They sound so great at half the cost or less of the top tier iem's that I don't feel I'm giving up anything I can't live without.  For reference, I've owned the SE530, TF10, UM3X and Westone 3, so a quartet of the usual high end suspects.  I sold them all because they weren't perfect either, and cost a fair bunch.

 

[zhuangzijian]

i luv my dba-02, sometimes i prefer it over sm3 and se535. depends on my mood i guess. im wondering if anybody here had tried recabling it with copper cable. maybe, these can help the bass? i would love to try that but i have no idea who to approach. oh and slightly OT wat awg is considered the max for iems without being too heavy or big.

 

[dfrost]

Quote:

i luv my dba-02, sometimes i prefer it over sm3 and se535. depends on my mood i guess. im wondering if anybody here had tried recabling it with copper cable. maybe, these can help the bass? i would love to try that but i have no idea who to approach. oh and slightly OT wat awg is considered the max for iems without being too heavy or big.

The DBA wiring is already copper - not very thick copper, but that's what it's made from. What led you to believe that thicker copper would improve the bass?
 
DBA's can be disassembled for recabling. I haven't done it, but it was done for me. Elsewhere in this huge thread there's a photo showing the clear shells removed from the blue portion.
 

 

[shane55]

Quote:

Have to agree with the above post, the angle that you insert and the angle at which you eventually wear them make a massive difference. I was surprised at the bass impact as well the first time I got the right insertion.

Yes, yes, yes.... indeed. Very much earlier in this thread, when the second wave (IIRC) of recipients began to experiment with tips and fit, there was a fair amount mentioned with regard to angle.
I certainly notice a difference in sound with various angles. The best for me is about 5 to 10 degrees up from horizontal, so that the cable points just slightly forward as opposed to straight up.
That, trimmed Comply's and a deep insertion... and it's audio bliss. 

 

 

[FlySweep]

That, trimmed Comply's and a deep insertion... and it's audio bliss. 

 

You weren't bluffing!
 
My Comply p-type tips arrived today.. I trimmed em down slid them on (more like screwed them on as the fit around the DBA stem was quite tight).. but wow, the DBAs have NEVER sounded better!  I'd say skip the Klipsch & Ety tri-flanges and go straight for the Comply p-types.. you won't be sorry.. best fit out of the bunch BY FAR for me!  Once they're in, their comfort is unrivaled and the DBA bass is no joke!
 
Excellent recommendation Shane, thanks again bro.