[sk3383]

I am relatively new to IEMs, although I have sampled quite a few already. Like most members who first join this site, I was looking for the best headphones for the cheapest price. After reading countless reviews, I decided that both the RE0 and Rain had qualities that I looked for in a pair of headphones. I decided to purchase both of them and put them up head-to-head. Using ljokerl's reviews as a guideline, I have posted my review below:

HiFiMAN RE0

Accessories (3.5/5) - Includes standard silicon tips (s/m/l) and bi-flange tips (m/l). No travel case.
Build Quality (5/5) - Have not experienced any issues.
Isolation: (4/5) - Very good.
Microphonics (3.5/5) - Experienced microphonics in the top section of the cable (from the Y split upwards) Wearing the cables "over the ear" reduces this significantly. Not a deal breaker.
Comfort (4/5) - These are realitively small and light weight. The comfort all comes down to finding the proper tips for you.

SQ

Treble (5/5) - Crisp. Very analytical. Extends very well. Very good range. Incredible clarity. Great separation. I am usually very critical when listening to highs. These are almost perfect.
Mids (4/5) - Detailed. Again almost perfect. I would have preferred them to be slightly more pronouced. Very very slightly.
Bass (4.5/5) - Bass heads might ask for more. Quality over quantity here. Surprisingly good for an IEM. I find myself asking "are these IEMs" They reproduced everything so accurately. They hit all the lowest frequencies without breaking a sweat. Separation is incredible **Note** These IEMs require significant burn-in before the lower frequencies can be judged.

Clarity (5/5) - These are some of the most pure sounding headphones I have ever heard, regardless of full size or IEM.
Extension (5/5) - It hits the the lowest of lows without getting muddy and the highest of highs without ever making you cringe.
Separation: (5/5) - The separation in the highs and bass are simply unbelievable.
Soundstage: (4/5) - The upper mids and treble are so analytical, that it draws you in to listen to each and every detail, almost so much that you forget just how wide the soundstage truly is.
Sound Signature (5/5) - Very neutral. Very Natural. Very Flat. No added flavour. Does not add its own unique sound signature to the orginal recording. If you love to listen to phones the reproduce music as close to the original as possible...these are the ones for you.

Value - If you buy these, not only will you be impressed, you will be pretty upset when you realize how much you have spent on other more expensive equipment that doesn't sound nearly as good.

Pros: Price!!!! It sounds better than some full sized headphones.
Cons: Slight microphonics. Finding the right tips is a bit of a task.

I never thought I would say something like this but here it goes...these IEMs reproduce the music with such a flat response, they actually lack a signature sound. They lack fun factor. They are not involving. I find myself just listening to every detail of the music instead of enjoying the music.

Thinksound Rain

Accessories (2.5/5) - Includes standard silicon tips (xs/s/m/l). Carrying pouch.
Build Quality (5/5) - I have not experiened any problems thus far.
Isolation (3.5/5) - Even with the proper tips/seal I still experienced issues. They are average.
Microphonics (4.5/5) - Cable might be thin, but its pretty darn good.
Comfort (3/5) - I experienced a lot of problems finding the right tips. The nozzle may be a little large for someone with smaller ear canals.

SQ

Treble (3.5/5) - Smooth. Airy. Lively. The higher frequencies are rolled off very gradually starting at 6.5kHz (6db/octave)
Mids (5/5) - Foward and intentionally pronounced. Very Warm. Adds some fun factor. Mids are beautiful. I find myself listening to Jazz, just because it does such a great job with the Saxophone.
Bass (3.5/5) - Sounds like the crossover was set at 45hz (24db/octave) to remove the extreme lower frequencies. However, the lower frequencies it actually plays, sounds great. Seperation is above average. It really has a warm, attractiveness to it. It is easy to get really involved with the music for the incredible mid bass. Note that the mid bass is more pronouced which slightly overshawdows some lower frequencies.

Clarity (3.5/5) - For the most part it is above average.
Extension (3.5/5) - The higher and lower frequencies do not extend as much as the RE0 however I believe this is the intention of the designer. The extension downfalls are not noticeable unless you are actually attempting to critique the sound.
Separation (4/5) - Instrument separation is where these phones excel. Simply Beautiful.
Soundstage (4/5) - This is definately centered or focused on the mids. It gives the illusion of the soundstage being wider than it actually is.
Sound Signature (5/5) - Very warm. Involving. Very fun.

Value - Its sad that these phones have so much competition at this price point, because they will be overlooked/overshadowed by so many others. They have a very unique sound and are very capable headphones for their price. They have a low carbon footprint.

Pros: Did I mention they were environmently friendly. A very enjoyable unique sound signature.
Cons: Fit/Comfort was an issue for me due to the large nozzle size. Isolation is very average.


HEAD-TO-HEAD

Vocals: RE0
Mids: Rain
Bass: RE0
Detail: RE0
Accuracy: RE0
Dynamics: RE0
Speed: RE0
Soundstage: RE0
Comfort: RE0
Isolation: RE0
Microphonics: Rain
Separation: RE0
Sound Signature: Rain
Fun Factor: Rain


At this price point, the RE0 is the winner. I will note that the Rain's provide a very enjoyable sound signature and are worth a listen. I will be keeping both.

If you are reading this, I hope this was helpful in your decision.

Please also note..this review is completely my opinion, nothing is actual fact. Everyone hears and interprets music differently.


Regards,

Shawn

 

[karma]

Great write-up. Thanks for sharing your impressions. I had been debating between the RE0 and Rain myself the past couple of weeks, and I finally decided to go with the Rain yesterday. Your comparison of these two make me feel like I've made the right decision (I prefer a mid-centric sound signature). I just hope I don't run into fit issues myself.

 

[sk3383]

Quote:

Originally Posted by karma /img/forum/go_quote.gif Great write-up. Thanks for sharing your impressions. I had been debating between the RE0 and Rain myself the past couple of weeks, and I finally decided to go with the Rain yesterday. Your comparison of these two make me feel like I've made the right decision (I prefer a mid-centric sound signature). I just hope I don't run into fit issues myself.

You wont regret it, I actually prefer the Rain for overal enjoyment. I did try a bi-flange with the Rain and got a pretty good fit. I also read that paulypaul got a good fit with the bi-flange as well. Good luck.

 

[paulypaul]

Great Review Shawn.
I read your review and thought , spot on, spot on, spot on.
I would have liked to have heard the bass extend lower in the Rain, but i do think the mids are lush and beautiful.
So which ones do you listen to the most ?
Just wondering what are your Eq settings on the A818 for the RE0.
on the A828 i have:
L to R
3, 2, 1, 1, 1, 0 or 1 depending if i want it crisper or warmer

 

[sk3383]

Quote:

Originally Posted by paulypaul /img/forum/go_quote.gif Great Review Shawn. I read your review and thought , spot on, spot on, spot on. I would have liked to have heard the bass extend lower in the Rain, but i do think the mids are lush and beautiful. So which ones do you listen to the most ? Just wondering what are your Eq settings on the A818 for the RE0. on the A828 i have: L to R 3, 2, 1, 1, 1, 0 or 1 depending if i want it crisper or warmer

I have clear bass on +2. Everything else I keep at flat. I will try your settings and let you know what I think. I actually listen to the Rain more than the RE0. But I have only had them for a week so far. Things could change.

 

[paulypaul]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sk3383 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have clear bass on +2. Everything else I keep at flat. I will try your settings and let you know what I think. I actually listen to the Rain more than the RE0. But I have only had them for a week so far. Things could change.

I find punching everything up +1 from flat gives a slightly more dynamic sound from the walkman, so 2 1 0 0 0 0, becomes 3 2 1 1 1 1.
Maybe it colours the sound a bit but i like it

 

[sk3383]

Quote:

Originally Posted by paulypaul /img/forum/go_quote.gif I find punching everything up +1 from flat gives a slightly more dynamic sound from the walkman, so 2 1 0 0 0 0, becomes 3 2 1 1 1 1. Maybe it colours the sound a bit but i like it

I will give those a shot while I'm on the train tomorrow.

Hey I recommend to everyone...Get a set of Silicone Ear Guides. I bought them directly from the Phonak Audeo website and they are absolutely amazing. Greatest investment. I never liked to wear wires over my ears but these little babies make things so easy and comfortable.

 

[sk3383]

Just an FYI...

Listening to the RE0's, the bass extension and actualy heavyness keeps growing slightly with more and more use. It does this without altering the soundstage or changing the quality of the lower frequencies. I wonder how many hours before its completely burned in.

 

[Napilopez]

Great review! It's a shame about the lack of bass extension on the rain, it's the only thing keeping me from buying them. I imagine sub-bass in movie soundtracks would be mighty boring on them.

 

[jbergan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sk3383 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Just an FYI... Listening to the RE0's, the bass extension and actualy heavyness keeps growing slightly with more and more use. It does this without altering the soundstage or changing the quality of the lower frequencies. I wonder how many hours before its completely burned in.

How many hours do you have on both pairs? I got a pair or Rain last week and they didn't start to sound good at all till around the 50 hour mark. The soundstage opened up significantly in that time period. Too bad the bass hasn't yet, then again I am at around 75 hours. At 100 hours or so I will probably post a review.

 

[Pianist]

Great review!

 

[paulypaul]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sk3383 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Just an FYI... Listening to the RE0's, the bass extension and actualy heavyness keeps growing slightly with more and more use. It does this without altering the soundstage or changing the quality of the lower frequencies. I wonder how many hours before its completely burned in.

I'd say 100hrs burn in for the RE0s, anything after that i feel is pretty subtle, the 50 or 60hr mark is were it was apparent the bass was really starting to do something.
Interestingly i have felt little or no change in the mids and highs (not that they needed changing)
ive easily done 200 hrs on mine now.

 

[StereoIntegrity]

im still waiting for the bass from my RE0's to come out....none at all really but im only at maybe 10-13 hours of burn in

 

[kunalraiker]

I got my RE0 this morning, haven't used it yet.
Any advise on what tips suit most people, I presume the mid regular ones.

 

[semisight]

Mid single flange have good bass. I haven't used the stock double flange in a while but I remember they brought out the highs a bit more. If you enjoy bass don't bother with sony hybrids, the sound canal is too thin for the bass to fully come through. Also, the mid single flange are really comfortable after a little use.

For all new RE0 users, burn 'em in over night and during the day for a few days. And make sure to listen for a while.