[Leveler]

Hi! How do the XBA1 compares to the slightly more expensive, but dual BA driver Rockit R-50? And also the Shure SE215? Any feedback appreciated Thanks, Diego

 

[kookoo]

Quote:

Hi! How do the XBA1 compares to the slightly more expensive, but dual BA driver Rockit R-50? And also the Shure SE215? Any feedback appreciated Thanks, Diego

No chance, go with the shure 215 and the sony MH1c will perform just about there with the XBA1 for much cheaper so...
Not sure about the rockit, maybe someone else can help you

 

[Leveler]

Quote:

No chance, go with the shure 215 and the sony MH1c will perform just about there with the XBA1 for much cheaper so...
Not sure about the rockit, maybe someone else can help you

Hey there,
 
yeah that's what I thought, I just saw the Sony's sitting at a store today and wondered, I need to build up my patience 

.
 
for the R50s I'm reading this thread
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/600093/rockit-sounds-r-50-review-impressions-appreciation
 
most impresions hhave been good, I'm at page 17. The only downside it's that it's the only one I can't get "locally" 
 
still thanks a lot for the feedback

 

[ClieOS]

For those who are interested in the new XBA-10 - I just pick up a pair on the recently opened local Sony Center. First impression is that it is extremely similar to XBA-1, but not totally identical. If I have to guess, they must have used the same BA driver but changed the acoustic damper (filter). It feels like it is less dampened now so the sonic energy is better distributed. Treble stands out just a tiny bit more while lower end texture and warmth are reduced slightly. Overall the change is small, say 10% or less, but the overall balance has improved. I would guess they have done the same to the rest of the XBA series as well, which explains why the electrical spec remain the same for all the new models. That being said, I don't think those who already own the XBA-1 should upgrade to XBA-10, as you really won't find a big upgrade between them.

 

[pokpokgei]

Quote:

You want an IEM with flat FR curve, yet you like EX85LP, which is actually quite far from being flat in FR curve, so I am not really sure whether you are actually looking for a flat curve or not. Given your idea of flat is very far from actually flat in measurement, I don't think I can recommend anything to you. My best advise is for you to visit a store that can let you demo some good, really flat and accurate sounding IEM (Etymotic for an example, or Phonak PFE1xx) and compared it to what you believe is flat, then you can start looking for you really want.

i think he needs to read this. http://www.inearmatters.net/2008/12/neutral-vs-natural-thought.html

im very similar to him, thinking i like neutral iem. but actually i am probably more of the typical user, unable to appreciate extremely analytical earphones, more tilted towards colored earphones. preference for good bass just short of being a basshead and like good detailed vocals, clarity and accurate timbre. prefer music that sound natural, natural in the sense that it sounds the same as sound you will hear in a room with 5.1 home theatre system.

by the way, do you have the best iem in mind that suits this kind of preference? best to be able to wear straight down. going to use them out of android smartphone, without any amp.

 

[ClieOS]

Quote:

by the way, do you have the best iem in mind that suits this kind of preference? best to be able to wear straight down. going to use them out of android smartphone, without any amp.

 
These two might fit your need: Sony MH1C and TDK BA200. Slightly less bassy but might also work: HifiMan RE400 and Westone UM3X.

 

[pokpokgei]

Quote:

 
These two might fit your need: Sony MH1C and TDK BA200. Slightly less bassy but might also work: HifiMan RE400 and Westone UM3X.

 
i read elsewhere that the volume control on MH1C is kind of heavy and causes earphone to slide out rather often.
 
so i'm considering the jvc ha-fxt90, jvc fxd80, xba-3, xba-30, re-252 but i am not really sure which 1 suits me. how do you think of this in suiting my preferences? also a little concerned whether 12 ohm impedance will work well without amp on computer and on android smartphone.

how are the hifiman re-400 compared to re252?

also will be nice if they are not fatiguing and sibilant for long hour(6 to 8 hrs) music listening daily. 
 
i currently own the sunrise xcape impressive edition and i dont really like the separation distance between the vocals and instruments, it seems too big a distance apart and the xcape ie sounds a little veiled overall and the treble seems a little dark (not sure if dark is the right word to use here). bass also seems to be inadequate, not really sure how to describe but even my panasonic hje270-k(20-30 dollar earphone) has more dynamic/punchier bass. i probably prefer more depth and layering and just above average width separation in terms of soundstage.

i usually listen at volume levels of 10 to 30 out of 100 on the computer for my panasonic earphone which has 16 ohm impedance across the frequency range. since i turned off the loudness equalization setting, it gets quite loud at volume 50 and i listen to almost all genre of music from pop, edm, rock, cinematic rock, orchestra, instrumental, new age, almost everything and even including 1-2 metal bands, x-japan etc.

i think i also need good speed cause even this cheap panasonic dynamic earphone can play this kind of song at it's intended speed very clearly, no muddled sound at all. 3:35 onwards. guitar sounds natural. although i have to lower it to volume 6/100 on computer as it's 4am now, dead silent in my room and any louder my eardrums feel like they are going to burst. (not hardcore metal fan, just using this song to test speed of earphone)
 

sorry that i didnt make it clear in previous post but i am only buying iems that can be worn straight down, if the earphones i listed above isnt exactly suitable for my preference, what else might you recommend?

 

[Seekky]

Quote:

 
i read elsewhere that the volume control on MH1C is kind of heavy and causes earphone to slide out rather often.
 
so i'm considering the jvc ha-fxt90. how do you think of this in suiting my preferences?

also will be nice if they are not fatiguing and sibilant for long hour(6 to 8 hrs) music listening daily. 
 
i currently own the sunrise xcape impressive edition and i dont really like the separation distance between the vocals and instruments, it seems too big a distance apart and the xcape ie sounds a little veiled overall and the treble seems a little dark (not sure if dark is the right word to use here). bass also seems to be inadequate, not really sure how to describe but even my panasonic hje270-k has more dynamic/punchier bass.

sorry that i didnt make it clear in previous post but i am only buying iems that can be worn straight down, if the ha-fxt90 isnt exactly suitable for my preference, what else might you recommend?

For MH1C, u gotta use the clip, so the cable wont slides.

 

[pokpokgei]

i think i am giving mh1c a pass. 

and still waiting for clieOS to reply my post on top

 

[ClieOS]

Quote:

i read elsewhere that the volume control on MH1C is kind of heavy and causes earphone to slide out rather often.
 
so i'm considering the jvc ha-fxt90, jvc fxd80, xba-3, xba-30, re-252 but i am not really sure which 1 suits me. how do you think of this in suiting my preferences? also a little concerned whether 12 ohm impedance will work well without amp on computer and on android smartphone.

how are the hifiman re-400 compared to re252?

 
You will probably find FXT90 grainy or even slightly sibilant on the female vocal. I have not heard XBA-30 but XBA-3 isn't exactly a fatigue-free sound either. RE252 is discontinued for too long and I really won't recommend you for a second hand unit. RE400 and FXD80 will both fit your need better - neither is the very bassy type, but FXD80 has bigger impact and deeper reach and a wider soundstage. RE400 however has better, more detail mid. Given you opinion on Xcape IE, I would think FXD80 might have a better chance to match your taste.

 

[pokpokgei]

Quote:

 
You will probably find FXT90 grainy or even slightly sibilant on the female vocal. I have not heard XBA-30 but XBA-3 isn't exactly a fatigue-free sound either. RE252 is discontinued for too long and I really won't recommend you for a second hand unit. RE400 and FXD80 will both fit your need better - neither is the very bassy type, but FXD80 has bigger impact and deeper reach and a wider soundstage. RE400 however has better, more detail mid. Given you opinion on Xcape IE, I would think FXD80 might have a better chance to match your taste.

 
i found a website to buy the re 252 for 100 dollars, not sure if they are genuine though but i am not totally turned off from the idea of buying from them.

just for a final comparison before i push the buy button, how will you compare the re252, re400, fxd70[size=18.399999618530273px], [/size]fxd80, ckm500 and fischer audio consonance. i read joker's review on k3003 and i think the kind of overall sound signature in k3003 might be what i want but the deal breaker lies in dynamic and balanced armature sounding different, incoherence which i probably will notice down the road since i listen to music 6 hours or more a day.
 
a quick question. are warm sounding earphones usually slightly veiled? i am trying to understand if veiled sounding is related to warm signatureor because the xcape ie has totally no vent/holes that caused the slight muddiness. if either of these can be reasons for earphones sounding veiled then i will know to stay clear of warm sounding phone and the ones without any vent holes in the future.

 
again listing my preferences:
 
good sub bass, natural and adequate quantity midbass, good speed (coming from the panasonic hje270)
slightly forward mids, detailed, clarity, transparent
good treble, timbre of instruments must be natural sounding, crisp but not fatiguing, airy
cannot be sibilant, cannot be piercing
slightly above average soundstage, separation of vocal/instruments cannot be as far apart as in sunrise xcape impressive edition
hopefully not as congested a soundstage as the panasonic rp-hje270
male, female voice must be natural, natural is so important to me

please recommend me if you think that is an earphone which suit me better than the ones i am considering on top.

sorry if i ask for so much but i've been searching for a few weeks now reading reviews everywhere for many hours a day and still cannot find a pair of earphone with such qualities that are low in harmonic distortion or free from weird bumps in frequency(xba3 metallic sounding treble at 8k Hz). i realise only pros like you who have reviewed many earphones can help me out with my strict requirements 

 

 

[ClieOS]

The silicone 'ear loop' on RE252 tends to be problematic after a year or two of use (though mine is still okay), and that's is why I don't want to recommend it to you as you will never be able to get it repair even with cost as it is discontinued.
 
I haven't heard CKM500 or K3003 (nor is HJE270). Warm doesn't always means veil, but I don't any IEM that is really warm to be as analytical as a neutral IEM. To be really clean and clear, you do need a more neutral mid and so they tends to lack warm (which comes from lower to centre mid).
 
Natural can be different things for different people - some of your description seems to match one IEM but other description match another. RE400 will have the mid, but treble seems to be slightly short of what you want and bass will not be enough. FXD80 has the bass and treble but soundstage is too wide for you and the mid isn't forward enough. I think I am running out IEM that will fit everything you want...

 

[pokpokgei]

Quote:

The silicone 'ear loop' on RE252 tends to be problematic after a year or two of use (though mine is still okay), and that's is why I don't want to recommend it to you as you will never be able to get it repair even with cost as it is discontinued.
 
I haven't heard CKM500 or K3003 (nor is HJE270). Warm doesn't always means veil, but I don't any IEM that is really warm to be as analytical as a neutral IEM. To be really clean and clear, you do need a more neutral mid and so they tends to lack warm (which comes from lower to centre mid).
 
Natural can be different things for different people - some of your description seems to match one IEM but other description match another. RE400 will have the mid, but treble seems to be slightly short of what you want and bass will not be enough. FXD80 has the bass and treble but soundstage is too wide for you and the mid isn't forward enough. I think I am running out IEM that will fit everything you want...

 
what about sony mdr-ex1000? the only downside for me when i consider this is the price and that it only can be worn over the ears. i am trying not to buy worn over ears earphone as i am already wearing spectacles
 
the kind of natural i like is like the sound i hear from external speakers, example 5.1 home theatre system. natural like sound you hear in environment when not using earphone. sound like violin,guitar when just listening with ear from external speakers or live performance of the musician in person at concert. that kind of natural i mean. i dont want neutral iem, neutral iem is not natural to me. (example, etymotic er4s is definitely something that i cant appreciate) i read your post http://www.inearmatters.net/2008/12/neutral-vs-natural-thought.html and i agree with this. i like my sub bass, mid bass, i like my natural male, female voice and clarity. that's why i also like vented dynamic iem, i think these are the best for presenting natural sound from all the reviews i read so far and consolidating my thoughts.

the more reviews i read the more i am getting motivated to empty out all my saving into the hundreds and maybe even 1000 dollars for the earphone that i really want. i think i am sinking in deep and at a really fast rate and my songs are constantly calling out to me, while i am reading reviews, to bring the best out of them with a good earphone. lol.

 

[ClieOS]

If you are willing to go over the ear, then I'll recommend you TDK BA200 or Westone UM3X instead. There is some brightness on EX1000. Nothing too terrible but isn't something I'll call fatigue-free. Also it has a really big soundstage.

 

[pokpokgei]

but will i have good punch mid bass on ba200 and even a bit of rumble for sub bass is good too.
 
cause right now, the panasonic hje270 is cheap but it has a bit of rumble in sub bass and it's mid bass is quite punchy and natural sounding. if the ba200 is not natural sounding for bass cause i have the perception that balanced armature cannot project bass sounds, then it will probably affect my enjoyment on the whole and i might not like it.
 
how about any other vented dynamic iem, do you have any to recommend, considering the needs in the above posts.


fxd80 you say the mids isnt forward enough but is it recessed? i think, perhaps this earphone is worth a try if it isnt recessed. if neutral position will still be acceptable to me but if recessed i probably wont like as the panasonic is already either slightly recessed or neutral, if the mids on fxd80 is anything more laid back than the panasonic i will be in hawaii (lol, jokes ). and for the soundstage, is it wider that xcape ie, compare it against the xcape ie please so i can gauge how separated it is. 
 
 

right now, if nobody has anything better than fxd80 to recommend me, then i am narrowing down the comparison to just fxd80 and fxd70. i read that fxd70 might be better than fxd80, so i need confirmation on this before i choose and go ahead with buying. if the sound signature of fxd80 is also same as ultimate ears TripleFi 10, how will you compare the two?

the chinese review i read says that fxd70 is not same signature as fxd80, fxd70 is more mids-treble centric while fxd80 is more balanced overall. the chinese threadstarter say he prefer fxd70 because it has better teble, better details although poor to no soundstage while comparing the two. the chinese review also say fxd80 has slightly above average soundstage and less detailed highs compared to fxd70. but he gives fxd70 a overall score of 9.4 and fxd80 a overall score of 8.8. i think he is trying to say that sound quality of fxd70 is better than fxd80 but he is only using the transparency of treble to compare which i don't really understand why just the treble alone determines better sound quality in a earphone. (too noob in earphone knowledge here)

another user in the chinese review comments that fxd70 is piercing for highs in some songs but chinese review threadstarter claims that he has many years knowledge in reviewing expensive earphones and say sound quality cannot be fixed but coloration can be added using amps and equlization. I DONT KNOW WHO TO LISTEN TO. OMG. and the main thing is i dont wish to use an amplifier as i want portability while getting around and that means only the smartphone and a earphone, nothing more and i dont like to mess with EQ as i will have to keep changing when different genre of song is played and i listen to so many genres on shuffle setting! i think anyone who is in my shoes will understand, lol, how to keep changing EQ when the random song list plays: song 1 is pop, song 2 is classical, song 3 is electronic dance music, song 4 is orchestra, song 5 is cinematic rock, i will go crazy!

i will just link the url here for the convenience of mandarin readers, if it is permitted :X http://www.mobile01.com/topicdetail.php?f=180&t=2636214&p=1

(argh, sometimes i wish i have the luxury of trying out the variety of products myself, this is not possible as i am not living in USA where i can buy products to test for a few weeks before returning them if i dislike it, technically i can ship it back for returns but international shipping and return fee is practically too costly)


thanks and appreciate your quick replies