Review: Spiral Ear SE 5-way Reference - A new level of resolution? (Review posted 5/15/12)

[AmberOzL]

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Yea depending on if this continues I'll go to my audiologist request she remake my impressions free of charge since I had fit issues and hopefully can just ship directly to Grzegorz this time and have him do the same. I figure as long as the item has tracking (with signature even) things should be fine.
 
This photo was courtesy of tupac next to his black SE5 .
 

Tupac has some.... huge ears or it is just manipulation of the photo

 

[tupac0306]

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Tupac has some.... huge ears or it is just manipulation of the photo

You mean small ears? lol It's the camera stretching my left ear piece.
 
So far I haven't seen any SE5 (passed through my hand) is smaller than mine

 

[Greed]

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You mean small ears? lol It's the camera stretching my left ear piece.
 
So far I haven't seen any SE5 (passed through my hand) is smaller than mine

 
Even mine!? 

 

[tupac0306]

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Even mine!? 

yep, bigger than mine. but not by much

 

[lee730]

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yep, bigger than mine. but not by much

 
Not! You're just being nice!

 

[lee730]

Hey guys if anyone is looking for a good deal on an otterbox. This guy is legit. I scored the Otterbox 2000 for my SE5s for $19.99 shipped free. It's genuine .
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/OTTERBOX-2000-Black-WATERPROOF-DRYBOX-2-Protect-Your-Glasses-Phone-Wallet-Radio-/271230771416?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f269d20d8
 
Was also curious how do you guys go about cleaning the SE5? It's a dust magnet but I want to ensure I don't do anything stupid while cleaning them....
 

 

[AmberOzL]

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You mean small ears? lol It's the camera stretching my left ear piece.
 
So far I haven't seen any SE5 (passed through my hand) is smaller than mine

Mine is probably smaller than yours

 

[lee730]

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Mine is probably smaller than yours

 
That's good new though. Seems Grzegorz has gotten better at accommodating smaller ear sizes to some extent from what I've seen. Means more SE5s to go around.

 
On a plus note I really enjoy how the SE5 pairs on the 3rd ANV and the Tera player. Both pair extremely well with the SE5. Was not very impressed with how the Tera paired on the 1Plus2 and Sui honestly....

 

[Mimouille]

Moleskine XS shell is a great case for CIEMs and small DAPs:
 
http://store.moleskine.com/en/shell-xs-2324.html#635=7
 

 

 

[AmberOzL]

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That's good new though. Seems Grzegorz has gotten better at accommodating smaller ear sizes to some extent from what I've seen. Means more SE5s to go around.

 
On a plus note I really enjoy how the SE5 pairs on the 3rd ANV and the Tera player. Both pair extremely well with the SE5. Was not very impressed with how the Tera paired on the 1Plus2 and Sui honestly....

3rd Anv is that good with SE5way? It's lack of high res playback is a bummer for me but if it pairs that good maybe I can consider it.

 

[AmberOzL]

I remember lee asked how to clean the earpieces, here is a quote from Grzegorz:
 
"Earpieces can be best cleaned just by using water with a small amount of mild soap, etc. and it's better not to use any kind of cleaning cloth and not wipe or rub it with cloths (just gently using one's own fingers, tiny bit of soap/water, without letting it into the soundtubes and letting it dry is enough)."
 
I hope this helps mate.
 
About the sound of SE5way. They do many things perfectly, there is no doubt but I think their best feature is perfect attack and decay. It helps the monitor the change its sound and give what really recordings demand. I am completely in love with them and I understand why it has been accepted one of the best ciems in the world.

 

[lee730]

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3rd Anv is that good with SE5way? It's lack of high res playback is a bummer for me but if it pairs that good maybe I can consider it.

 
Sorry I thought I had replied to you? Anyways yes it pairs very well together IMO. I'm really enjoying this pairing. The Studio V naturally has a lighter note weight and the SE5 has a slightly thicker note weight. They both go very well together and balance each other out in that regards. What I most enjoy about the Studio V is it's vocals. You just hear ever nuance. It's still the best DAP in this regards IMO. Also how it manages to make most modern day tracks sounds noticeably more dynamic and open. It really just helps to make such tracks "pop" if you will.
 
Also regarding the fit issues. I ordered some hearing aid lube and will see if that will resolve the issue. I read on amazon reviews that quite a number of people had issues with pain and itchiness without using these lubes. So crossing my fingers. The next step is to see if the audiologist can shave down the areas that are causing pain and coat those areas with silicone lacquer. The last resort is sending them back to Grzegorz which will be very costly. Since I'll have to ship to a proxy and then from the proxy back to him. Then again back from him to the proxy and back to me (which is very dumb and unnecessary IMO). So beware people who are not within the UE. That if you do have fit issues, the hoops you have to jump through are ultimately unreasonable, unrealistic and most likely not worth the risk.

 

[AmberOzL]

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Sorry I thought I had replied to you? Anyways yes it pairs very well together IMO. I'm really enjoying this pairing. The Studio V naturally has a lighter note weight and the SE5 has a slightly thicker note weight. They both go very well together and balance each other out in that regards. What I most enjoy about the Studio V is it's vocals. You just hear ever nuance. It's still the best DAP in this regards IMO. Also how it manages to make most modern day tracks sounds noticeably more dynamic and open. It really just helps to make such tracks "pop" if you will.
 
Also regarding the fit issues. I ordered some hearing aid lube and will see if that will resolve the issue. I read on amazon reviews that quite a number of people had issues with pain and itchiness without using these lubes. So crossing my fingers. The next step is to see if the audiologist can shave down the areas that are causing pain and coat those areas with silicone lacquer. The last resort is sending them back to Grzegorz which will be very costly. Since I'll have to ship to a proxy and then from the proxy back to him. Then again back from him to the proxy and back to me (which is very dumb and unnecessary IMO). So beware people who are not within the UE. That if you do have fit issues, the hoops you have to jump through are ultimately unreasonable, unrealistic and most likely not worth the risk.

Oh you changed your avatar picture

Thanks for all the input Jim. Everything is nice about Studio V except lack of high res playback. I will wait for FiiO X5 now. Otherwise Studio V would be perfect solution for me with all those battery life + size factor.
 
Also did you read the post about I quoted Grzegorz explanation? I think you had problems with dust magnet earpieces

 

[lee730]

Thanks, yes I did. I used a bit of simple green and water and just rubbed them gently with my fingers without getting water into the sound tubes or the cable housing. Instead of letting them air dry I just gently patted them with a cotton shirt (no rubbing).
 

 

[AmberOzL]

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Thanks, yes I did. I used a bit of simple green and water and just rubbed them gently with my fingers without getting water into the sound tubes or the cable housing. Instead of letting them air dry I just gently patted them with a cotton shirt (no rubbing).
 

Glad I could help

I hope your fit problems will end soon and you can enjoy it without a pain. Good thing that, that's not your only hifi c/iem, in the meantime you can still enjoy 1+2 and all

 
I found out that giving 5 10 minutes of breaks once an hour is actually helpful. I think it was Tupac who suggested that. Thanks to him