[virus12345]

well, ive got to say xba30+z1060 is a Great combination. 
gotta love the sound im hearing.
hardrock on these is good but not as good as ckm500.
hardrock on this need to be amp. thats all..
ckm500>xba30 when it comes to hardrock (maby its just me)
 
Other than that, xba30 has been an amazing iem.
Great on alot of genre. u NAME it. pop,classic,rock,metal,vocals,alternative... and many more.
the strong attributes on the xba30 are the Soundstage and vocals. Totally on a different level.
 
Lows(bass) will stretch to the soundstage width and depth. (this can be a positive or negative... e.g. for me, hardrock lacks the "impact" of the bass/lows, positively, some rock song can be pretty good on these)
mids are very detail, same goes for the highs. detail and such SWEET clarity.
As a whole, the sound it produce is perfect(well, excellent.. no such thing as perfect) especially when paired with the walkman z.  

 

[kevms89]

I use the 3's with my iphone 5, love it!

Will the 40's be even better or should I not waste my money?

The difference between my XBA-1's and 3's are massive, if the 40's aren't a decent difference I will probably pass.

 

[sardar17]

i have recently ordered xba-3 for 130$ including delivery charges,,,after my excellent meelectronics a151 were stolen
 
1)is it worth in this range??
2)i have heard that it will not work very well with sources having high impedence
 
so what portable player is suitable here??
do i need an amp for these 2 devices??
i have a sansa clip+ and xperia mini cellphone

 

[kevms89]

I have some questions if anyone can answer:

1.I assume the 40 will be a big upgrade from the 3.
2.I should be ok with my iphone and the 40 right?
3.what is this metallic tinge, can anyone explain in a way a newb can understand lol
4.Is the cable really better built on these new 10 versions?
5.Compare the 40 to the re400?

thanks.

 

[chengsta]

metallic tinge is kinda like listening to music in a metal room.  It just sounds different.  But its hardly noticeable.
The 40s cable is really good, strong, and doesn't tangle.
 
I've never had the xba 3, but the 40's were really warm right out of the box.  Had to change the tips and get a higher impedance source to get it brighter.  However it's so old that I think there are better options out there with a better price/performance ratio.

 

[kevms89]

metallic tinge is kinda like listening to music in a metal room.  It just sounds different.  But its hardly noticeable.
The 40s cable is really good, strong, and doesn't tangle.

I've never had the xba 3, but the 40's were really warm right out of the box.  Had to change the tips and get a higher impedance source to get it brighter.  However it's so old that I think there are better options out there with a better price/performance ratio.

What would you say is better? I aks because the xba3 is probably the best iem I have ever had and am rocking them still, I figured the 40's would be an upgrade.

The Sony H1 is coming out for a good price but I wonder if they will be high end because the H3 is the high end one of that line.

Then you have the 7550 which I hear is also good.

 

[kevms89]

Also didnt this new xba line come out this year? I consider "old" like years ago, sorta like the triple fi 10 and even those are great headphones that people still like, sound is sound, its not like it gets outdated.

 

[chengsta]

Also didnt this new xba line come out this year? I consider "old" like years ago, sorta like the triple fi 10 and even those are great headphones that people still like, sound is sound, its not like it gets outdated.

True, sound is sound.  I still do like the xba 40's too, especially with a bass boosted source/amp.  (loved it with the c5)
Yes, it's probably less than a year old, but during that time, a lot of iems in its price range has been released and a lot of reviewers tend to like them more than the xba 40's.  Maybe its worth checking out.

 

[canikickit1]

I have some questions if anyone can answer:

1.I assume the 40 will be a big upgrade from the 3.
2.I should be ok with my iphone and the 40 right?
3.what is this metallic tinge, can anyone explain in a way a newb can understand lol
4.Is the cable really better built on these new 10 versions?
5.Compare the 40 to the re400?

thanks.

 
1- From my opinion the 40s give a bigger soundstage, and better subbass than the XBA-3. However, it is darker and more source dependent the XBA-3s. Amplifying the XBA-40s (With a JDS Labs C5 or other bright amp) will make it shine.
 
2. You should be OK listening with the iPhone. Some users report preferring iPhone sounds to an iPOD. Again very source dependent. I've become so used to listening to the 40s with an amp its hard not hear it without one.
 
3. The tinge is slight and almost non-existent with the 40s. Best way to describe the tinge is through vocals. Imagine the vocals being song with a slight reverb at the end, as if the vocals are bouncing off a metal tuning fork.
 
4. The cable is better. Its serrated a feels a bit more durable.
 
I've never heard the re400 so I can't tell you.

 

[canikickit1]

Quick ear-tip protip.
 
I've been using the Me-electronic double flanges with the XBA-40s over the stock hybrids and they've worked great! Better timbre, and bass extension is tad bit increased.
 
YMMV - http://www.meelec.com/MEElectronics_Eartips_p/ts3-df-35-cl.htm

 

[d marc0]

Quick ear-tip protip.

I've been using the Me-electronic double flanges with the XBA-40s over the stock hybrids and they've worked great! Better timbre, and bass extension is tad bit increased.

YMMV - http://www.meelec.com/MEElectronics_Eartips_p/ts3-df-35-cl.htm

+1
Same here with the xba3

 

[stimer]

could you compare xba-30 vs gr07be/mk2. I found only xba-3 vs gr07mk2 http://www.head-fi.org/t/631704/double-review-etymotic-hf3-sony-xba-3-with-appearances-from-the-vsonic-gr07-mkii

 

[kevms89]

1- From my opinion the 40s give a bigger soundstage, and better subbass than the XBA-3. However, it is darker and more source dependent the XBA-3s. Amplifying the XBA-40s (With a JDS Labs C5 or other bright amp) will make it shine.

2. You should be OK listening with the iPhone. Some users report preferring iPhone sounds to an iPOD. Again very source dependent. I've become so used to listening to the 40s with an amp its hard not hear it without one.

3. The tinge is slight and almost non-existent with the 40s. Best way to describe the tinge is through vocals. Imagine the vocals being song with a slight reverb at the end, as if the vocals are bouncing off a metal tuning fork.

4. The cable is better. Its serrated a feels a bit more durable.

I've never heard the re400 so I can't tell you.

Thanks! Should get my H1 today, lets see what happens, when you say the 40's are darker, what does that mean exactly? Like what will be the major difference in sound compared to the 3?

 

[chengsta]

he probably means treble is a bit more rolled back/not as sharp

 

[kevms89]

Ok so I got the H1, the sound is very good but I actually prefer the sound of xba3 more, I feel like the H1 has punchier bass and bigger soundstage but the xba3 has more clarity to my ears.

Now I want to get either the xba30 or the 40, the 30 I wonder if I would notice an actual difference to my xba3 and the 40 I worry that they sound like the H1, thats really not a bad thing though as I love the soundstage but as I said the 3 just sounds more clear to me.

Also I wonder about the fit of the xba40, the xba3 are more comfortable to me than the H1.