[MegaHz]

hey ljokerl - thanks for checking with Woodees. why didn't i think to do that?

 

[MegaHz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ljokerl /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
For a more balanced-sounding woody there's always the Meelec CW31P, though it's got a different form factor.
 

 
ljokerl, the CW31P looks quite interesting. if you have time, how would you say it compares to the TS02 in sound and comfort? Iis there a $35-40 difference? For the price of the TS02 i could spring for the CC51P, but i'm a bit worried about their weight. (I think the reason the nuforce 7Ms stayed in my ears so much better than the 700xs was that they were much lighter. sounds like the wooden ones would be very light too.)
 
oh one more question - you wrote that the nozzles on the CW31 were oval. will standard tips still fit on them or would i be limited to the ones they come with?
 
thanks - appreciate all your work on this forum!
 
 

 

[ljokerl]

Quote:

ljokerl, the CW31P looks quite interesting. if you have time, how would you say it compares to the TS02 in sound and comfort? Iis there a $35-40 difference? For the price of the TS02 i could spring for the CC51P, but i'm a bit worried about their weight. (I think the reason the nuforce 7Ms stayed in my ears so much better than the 700xs was that they were much lighter. sounds like the wooden ones would be very light too.)
 
oh one more question - you wrote that the nozzles on the CW31 were oval. will standard tips still fit on them or would i be limited to the ones they come with?

The CW31P is part of Meelec's clarity series; it's much more lean-sounding than the TS02 and a whole lot more balanced. The TS02 is a bass monster in comparison - the CW31 is much closer in balance to the older Thinksound Rain. Comfort-wise the CW31 weighs almost nothing and is very inoffensive as long as your ears don't rebel against earbud-style earphones. I can wear them for hours and can even sleep in them (though they are difficult to wear over-the-ear). The oval nozzles are not a problem in terms of tip choice unless you use non-silicone tips that don't stretch. As far as I can tell, the CW31 comes with the same tips as Meelec's other earphones - they stretch very nicely over the oval nozzle.
 
And yes, the CC51 is a bit on the heavy side and has a wide nozzle (since that's where the driver is located). It is much smaller than the NE-700X, however.

 

[tkalee]

Thanks, joker!
 
Quote:

 
Quote:

Great review, ljokerl.  I love reading your reviews, and am learning a lot from them.  I'm thinking of ordering the TS02 for my commute, but am worried about sound leakage from the vent.  I know this is a minimal problem with my ie6s, even though they have a grill, but was wondering whether you noticed any leakage on the model you reviewed?

Leakage is really not a problem with these and almost all other IEMs unless you listen at unreasonable volumes. I would not expect it to be greater than with the IE6. The isolation does suffer very slightly as a result of the vent but it is still more than adequate for day-to-day use.

 

[cjp87]

Hi Joker,
 
Sorry to revive a long-dead thread, but I figured it would be an appropriate place to ask a question since you've got experience with such a multitude of phones. 
 
I've been looking around between the RE0, TS02, and Shure E215 phones. I posted a thread awhile ago, and got some good responses, but I thought a more detailed comparison from you would be really helpful (if you're willing, of course). I had the Thinksound Rains before and really loved them (I would still use them, but the left driver cut out, ), but like anything in technology, I get curious about trying new things.
 
The Shures have a really neat design, and I've heard their tips are nice (I have trouble getting good seals because I have kindof small canals, I guess?), and I'm intrigued by the hyper-analytical reviews the RE0s command. 
 
Anyway, again, thanks for your reviews and time, and thanks if you've got time for this question. 

 

[JohnnyAppleseed]

Quote:

Hi Joker,
 
Sorry to revive a long-dead thread, but I figured it would be an appropriate place to ask a question since you've got experience with such a multitude of phones. 
 
I've been looking around between the RE0, TS02, and Shure E215 phones. I posted a thread awhile ago, and got some good responses, but I thought a more detailed comparison from you would be really helpful (if you're willing, of course). I had the Thinksound Rains before and really loved them (I would still use them, but the left driver cut out, ), but like anything in technology, I get curious about trying new things.
 
The Shures have a really neat design, and I've heard their tips are nice (I have trouble getting good seals because I have kindof small canals, I guess?), and I'm intrigued by the hyper-analytical reviews the RE0s command. 
 
Anyway, again, thanks for your reviews and time, and thanks if you've got time for this question. 

You might want to actually ask a question...

 

 

[cjp87]

It's an implicit question, 

 
Explicitly, my question is would you be willing to compare these three IEMs to one another and make a general-purpose recommendation between them?
 
In my other thread, I detailed I listen to a pretty eclectic selection of music, ranging from jazz (all sorts) to classic rock (of the Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Boston, Rush varieties) to classical or symphonic to maybe just a little bit of rap/hip-hop. As for order of importance in regards to fitting a sound signature, I would say Jazz is primary and rap/hip-hop the least important. 

 

[ljokerl]

Quote:

Hi Joker,
 
Sorry to revive a long-dead thread, but I figured it would be an appropriate place to ask a question since you've got experience with such a multitude of phones. 
 
I've been looking around between the RE0, TS02, and Shure E215 phones. I posted a thread awhile ago, and got some good responses, but I thought a more detailed comparison from you would be really helpful (if you're willing, of course). I had the Thinksound Rains before and really loved them (I would still use them, but the left driver cut out, ), but like anything in technology, I get curious about trying new things.
 
The Shures have a really neat design, and I've heard their tips are nice (I have trouble getting good seals because I have kindof small canals, I guess?), and I'm intrigued by the hyper-analytical reviews the RE0s command. 
 
Anyway, again, thanks for your reviews and time, and thanks if you've got time for this question. 

The TS02 is significantly bassier than the Rain; otherwise it's somewhat similar. The SE215 is more balanced than the TS02 but still definitely bass-leaning. Coming from the Thinksound phones you might find it a little dry and maybe a touch light on treble but it should be an upgrade in resolution, clarity, and detail. Probably a worthy trade-off, though you could look at the HiSound Crystal if you are after that type of sound. The HiSounds do it a little better IMO. 
 
The RE0 is very different - it is lighter on bass and heavier on treble than the SE215/Crystal.  I think it's much more transparent, detailed, and refined but you may find yourself missing the bass of the Rains. I would recommend them if you want to try that sound signature but not so much if you just want to get a replacement for your Rains and move on. The Sunrise Xcape IE is a more friendly option with the same impressive level of technical capability but unfortunately it is plagued by build quality issues and therefore worth steering clear of.
 
 

 

[cjp87]

Thanks for the reply. I haven't made my decision yet, but at least I think I have the information necessary to do so. Seems I'd like either the TS02 or the SE215/Crystals over the RE0. Kinda leaning towards the SE215s just to try something new. 

 

[CanManCan]

Agree, these are good-sounding phones, and their customer service is OUTSTANDING.  But I don't understand why they continue to make their cables so thin and delicate (also tangles easily!).  I understand it's PVC-free so maybe they can't use the same durable ingredients as you would find in even much cheaper phones.  I've read they're supposedly kevlar-reinforced now.  Is that true?  If so, I don't notice any difference. I would imagine kevlar would add some substantial strength, but none appears present.  With IEMs, it's pretty much granted they're not going to be handled as gently as home use cans; they'll be put in and out of pockets, bags, etc, occasionally snagging on sometime, etc.  With these I feel I have to baby them, thus I can't enjoy them as often. 

 

[tinyman392]

Quote:

Agree, these are good-sounding phones, and their customer service is OUTSTANDING.  But I don't understand why they continue to make their cables so thin and delicate (also tangles easily!).  I understand it's PVC-free so maybe they can't use the same durable ingredients as you would find in even much cheaper phones.  I've read they're supposedly kevlar-reinforced now.  Is that true?  If so, I don't notice any difference. I would imagine kevlar would add some substantial strength, but none appears present.  With IEMs, it's pretty much granted they're not going to be handled as gently as home use cans; they'll be put in and out of pockets, bags, etc, occasionally snagging on sometime, etc.  With these I feel I have to baby them, thus I can't enjoy them as often. 

They are kevlar enforced now.  So while they seem puny, they actually aren't. 

 

[ljokerl]

Quote:

Agree, these are good-sounding phones, and their customer service is OUTSTANDING.  But I don't understand why they continue to make their cables so thin and delicate (also tangles easily!).  I understand it's PVC-free so maybe they can't use the same durable ingredients as you would find in even much cheaper phones.  I've read they're supposedly kevlar-reinforced now.  Is that true?  If so, I don't notice any difference. I would imagine kevlar would add some substantial strength, but none appears present.  With IEMs, it's pretty much granted they're not going to be handled as gently as home use cans; they'll be put in and out of pockets, bags, etc, occasionally snagging on sometime, etc.  With these I feel I have to baby them, thus I can't enjoy them as often. 

I haven't had any hands-on time with Thinksound's kevlar cord but the other ones I've used (Sennheiser, Etymotic, ACS, etc) have been trouble-free whether they looked it or not.

 

[Crey23]

Well I have to say that these phones (ts02+mic) are pretty incredible. The only bad thing is that made realize how bad my laptop source is.

I bought these to pair mainly with my Galaxy s3, but have gotten most of its use from my lenovo (work issued) laptop. I have found the sound coming out of the laptop to be very bassy and punchy with little refinement in the mid and highs.

With the phone they work well but sound a bit too heavy on the bass side. I had install an eq app to boost the kids and high little to make the curve a bit to my liking.

So a question to joker or anyone else familiar with fiios products. I almost bought the e6 the other day and then I learned about the e11. Of course then came the e7, and consequently the questions.... I originally thought about the e6 for portability and that one of the eq setting boosts mids and highs. The e11 then became a clearer option but from what I hear both eq settings seem to focus on bass boost. Naturally the e7 seemed a logical option given the DAC and the fact that my Galaxy s3 supports digital out via micro usb, but the size worries me a bit.

So the question is..... Are the ts02+mic worthy of the expense of the amp/dac? Is the e7 o er kill for these phones or should I stick to the ultra portable (mids and highs boosted) e6? I have jet to make up my mind... Leaning toward the e7 but not sure I'll get the benefit back. Of course taking the laws diminishing returns into account......

Input is much appreciated.

 

[ljokerl]

Quote:

So a question to joker or anyone else familiar with fiios products. I almost bought the e6 the other day and then I learned about the e11. Of course then came the e7, and consequently the questions.... I originally thought about the e6 for portability and that one of the eq setting boosts mids and highs. The e11 then became a clearer option but from what I hear both eq settings seem to focus on bass boost. Naturally the e7 seemed a logical option given the DAC and the fact that my Galaxy s3 supports digital out via micro usb, but the size worries me a bit.
So the question is..... Are the ts02+mic worthy of the expense of the amp/dac? Is the e7 o er kill for these phones or should I stick to the ultra portable (mids and highs boosted) e6? I have jet to make up my mind... Leaning toward the e7 but not sure I'll get the benefit back. Of course taking the laws diminishing returns into account......
Input is much appreciated.

 
The E7 is a nice little unit but probably only makes sense to buy if you're planning to use the DAC section with your computer when you're not on the move. The TS02 really isn't very demanding so I doubt a portable amp is worth getting if you can just use an EQ app on your device. 

 

[Crey23]

The E7 is a nice little unit but probably only makes sense to buy if you're planning to use the DAC section with your computer when you're not on the move. The TS02 really isn't very demanding so I doubt a portable amp is worth getting if you can just use an EQ app on your device. 

Thanks for the reply joker. I almost bought the e7, but became hesitant. I realized that all I needed was an eq app to boost the mid and highs just a bit. My laptop does have that feature built-in.....a 10 band eq no less.....sound did improve and does what I need. I still has hiss, but subdued once I add volume.

The galaxy s3 has a decent day already and paired with an after market eq app I'm "all good".

Thanks again for your reply.