[ClieOS]

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...
 
You might have different taste than me in IEM's, but I'm interested in what kind of music you like, and how you like it to sound.

I listen to female vocal a lot more these days, but mainly within the confine of alternative rock, jazz, indie, pop and country. I also listen to new age. Almost never listen to heavy metal or any related genre.

 
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The RE0 comes in a $2 housing/cable and $2 box/packaging, I've seen them both on ebay at that price. For $125 in the EX600 you get a unique high-quality housing (not $2 OEM), 16mm driver, great cable, great leather case, 12 different tips and phenonemonally different soundstage and imaging, on equal levels with a full-size headphone.
 
Yeah I am comparing a $79 and $125 product (I can't help it, I've been listening to both quite a lot) but if the RE0 used to retail for $199 and then $169 that just shows the huge advancements in IEM's recently.

EX700 was $300+ when I bought it, now a legit one goes for half of it online. Don't forget you can find an almost perfect clone of EX700 (except for sound) on some Chinese sites for $20~30, just tell you housing really isn't everything. In a year or two from now, the same fate will fall onto EX600. If you actually believe it cost 1/3 or 1/5 of its price tag to made an EX600, that only means you don't know enough about manufacturing, expecially in the headphone world. Most brand name headphones have margin well over 10x just to keep the production line profitable because expensive headphone generally sell a lot less in quantity than what people want to believe. You will never know that until you started to talk to some of the OEM, and that's if they are willing to tell you the secret.
 

 

[Varley]

I prefer the RE0 to my (now sold) EX600 in almost every way - Besides the design looks and the overall package - fit, sound, comfort etc I found all to be better...
 
Doesn't mean they are technically better or ARE better - Just my preference

 

[kiteki]

 
Well, Tyll at inner fidelity says the EX600 are one of the comfiest universal IEM's he's tried, and also one of the most neutral.
 
Neutral isn't a word that comes to mind for me... just relaying his thoughts.
 
If you prefer the RE0 to the EX600, then good for you, but I honestly think you're in a very small club, in the forrest

 
There are some people that will find the EX600 too bright, too screechy, too grainy, or too clunky, but I doubt it will get hundreds of returns like the RE0 did.

 

[Varley]

Quote:

 
Well, Tyll at inner fidelity says the EX600 are one of the comfiest universal IEM's he's tried, and also one of the most neutral.
 
Neutral isn't a word that comes to mind for me... just relaying his thoughts.
 
If you prefer the RE0 to the EX600, then good for you, but I honestly think you're in a very small club, in the forrest

 
There are some people that will find the EX600 too bright, too screechy, too grainy, or too clunky, but I doubt it will get hundreds of returns like the RE0 did.

Well I always was a leader and never a sheep

- Don't get me wrong, the EX600 was a great sounding IEM, but it had too many cons to pros for me at least - Their very large overall design was a bit of a killer for me; original, yes, but I'd rather have something that I can just listen to in like 1 minute - the EX600 took me longer than that to get the right fit sit as the ear loops changed form every time I stored them in the case

 
I see bang for your buck, and the EX600 wasn't double the IEM the RE0 is (like the price) No where near.

 

[Pianist]

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Uh well for example it has a very narrow soundstage, especially compared to full-size headphones.

 
I actually find RE0 to have a pretty wide soundstage. But I don't really care about soundstage in headphones that much. After all, no headphone can ever have the soundstage of a good speaker system and most headphones, even expensive ones hardly have any real soundstage to speak of. Soundstage in headphones is mostly the product of our imagination IMO and also greatly depends on the information we receive through our vision. For example, try listening to any headphone while looking at a blank wall 2 cm in front of you. I bet very few if any headphones will sound very big and spacious that way unless you have really strong imagination. Now listen to the same headphone while looking at a large, open landscape with a pleasant view. You should feel the soundstage expand quite a bit.
 
Now, some headphones certainly reproduce the spacial cues in recordings better than others and that can create an illusion of better soundstage. And I think RE0 actually reproduces these spacial cues really well, provided you have a good fit, good source, good recordings.

 

[james444]

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I actually find RE0 to have a pretty wide soundstage. But I don't really care about soundstage in headphones that much. After all, no headphone can ever have the soundstage of a good speaker system and most headphones, even expensive ones hardly have any real soundstage to speak of. Soundstage in headphones is mostly the product of our imagination IMO and also greatly depends on the information we receive through our vision. For example, try listening to any headphone while looking at a blank wall 2 cm in front of you. I bet very few if any headphones will sound very big and spacious that way unless you have really strong imagination. Now listen to the same headphone while looking at a large, open landscape with a pleasant view. You should feel the soundstage expand quite a bit.
 
Now, some headphones certainly reproduce the spacial cues in recordings better than others and that can create an illusion of better soundstage. And I think RE0 actually reproduces these spacial cues really well, provided you have a good fit, good source, good recordings.

Couple of things that I see rather differently:
- Soundstage is always the product of our imagination (= the result of our brain processing acoustic information), doesn't matter whether it's about headphones or speakers.
- We should be able to experience soundstage solely as an aural phenomenon, with closed eyes, or in a dark room. Works for me, and I can clearly make out different proportions on different headphones.
- Visual cues can enhance or interfere with our imagination of soundstage. Listening to a spacious sounding headphone, while staring at a blank wall that's 2cm ahead will confuse our brain, due to inconsistent aural and visual information. But that doesn't mean that we need visual cues to experience soundstage with headphones.
 
jm2c

 

[Pianist]

(sighs) The right side on my replacement pair of RE0s started fading again today. I think I am done with these IEMs. I really don't have the patience to keep on sending them back for replacements all the time. These will have to be replaced with a Shure SRH840 which sounds closest to RE0 in sound quality and character to my ears, because I need a headphone with the type of sound that RE0 offers. I will lose the isolation and portability of the RE0 though.

Big thumbs down to Hifiman for their awful quality control.

 

[kiteki]

Praise the lord.

 

[bruisedheart17]

Can anyone tell me how Re0 compares with Visang R03 in terms of bass, mids, highs and soundstage and instrument separation?
I know Re0 is classes above R03, just want to know how much
 
Also would you place Vsonic R04 between the two?
 
Thanks

 

[Pianist]

Forget about RE0, unless you know how to fix headphone cables and are willing to open up the tough metal casing.

 

[kiteki]

Vsonic R02 Pro II is like half the price of the RE0 and has silver cables.
 
I haven't heard it yet but there's one guy that's heard the entire Vsonic lineup and thinks it's really good and remarked analytical.

 

[Pianist]

Well, if you want to get the level of sound quality of the RE0 from an IEM, you will have to spend at least twice its price IMO. I recommend Shure SRH840 full sized closed headphones as a good alternative to RE0 with very similar (more similar than any IEM or other headphone I tried) and possibly somewhat better sound, if you don't mind the size, somewhat lower isolation and the looks. I personally used SRH840 as portables quite happily. You can get them used for ~$120.

 

[bruisedheart17]

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Forget about RE0, unless you know how to fix headphone cables and are willing to open up the tough metal casing.

Yes I don't mind it. So could anyone answer me plz?

 

[Pianist]

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Yes I don't mind it. So could anyone answer me plz?

 
What kind of sound do you like? RE0 is quite neutral, a bit on the warm side with a very slight treble and mid bass emphasis, great extension high and low, really good detail and clarity. It doesn't have a huge soundstage and has somewhat compressed dynamic range. It is not for everyone and if you like a very strong bass presence or forward, lush mids, the RE0 won't give you that. RE0 is for people who appreciate a balanced, accurate sound, but with a subtle touch of warmth and fun added to it. If you are one of those people, then by all means, get the RE0. You won't be disappointed with the sound - I don't think there is any IEM better at anywhere near the price.

 

[bruisedheart17]

Thanks Pianist. I had Visang R03 and loved it. But they broke on me. Bought Soundmagic pl 50 and hated it. 
 
On reading this thread Re0 seems analytical and not as fun as Visang R03, but I could use Fiio e5.
 
Think the Fiio E5 gives the body and warmth and adds a bit of fun factor to Re0?
 
I've been leaning towards Vsonic R04 because of its over-the ear style and slider and as a considerable upgrade to Visang R03. But after going through 130 pages of Re0 appreciation, I am tempted to spend that extra $20