[majurglery]

Well, Im looking to upgrade my IEM from er6i to, most likely, the ones in the title. I was wondering if it was worth it to save up to Se 530s or if the Sa6 was comparible in Sound quality. Ive heard good things about them, so i was wondering if these were as good as the shures for the cheaper price. Any other recommendations are welcome!

 

[tstarn06]

Never owned the SE530s, but many on the SA6 thread have heard them, and favor the Sleeks (less cost, potential for wireless, VQ system, etc.). I love the Sleeks, and feel they are the best value in higher-end IEMs (mainly because I didn't want to spend a dime more than $250). But I am totally happy with the Sleeks. Oh, and Sleek customer service is second to none. That could change if they grow too fast (they are small, nimble right now), but I doubt it.

 

[EyeAmEye]

Having owned the SE530 twice, I can say I easily prefer the SA6. Biggest difference between the two is the treble. The SE530's has the infamous treble rolloff, whereas the SA6 can be tailored somewhat to bring out a well present, detailed treble (I use the treble++ port). SE530 is going to win out on bass no matter what port you use, but the SA6 is not lacking in bass. Midrange is about equal, both are excellent. Soundstage has to go to SA6 by a hair. SE530 is a bit more comfortable, but both are pretty good.

I may be crazy, but in many circumstances I think the SA6 does things better than the UE11 and is pretty much on par with the FreQShow.

 

[BloodSugar00]

There quite some compliments and assertions EveAmEye!! I know some experienced IEM users, yourself an example, obviously, really endorse the Sleeks, even when compared to (far) more expensive IEM's and/or with more drivers and/or customs!! I know sound appeal is all very subjective but this really says a lot for what Sleek Audio have managed to achieve with the SA6! I myself love em, but these being my first set of IEM's and indeed, high quality headphones, I currently have no comparative experience to be able to assess the SA6 against. However, I'm awaiting a set of SE530's, of all things, so it will be interesting to listen to those and start building that comparative experience up!

Definitely an audiophile. Just currently not that experienced a one!

 

[robojack]

I've heard from more people that the SA6's offer superior bass to the SE530's. I think depending on your ear, and what kind of bass you're referring to (mid-bass, low-bass tones), there will be disagreements to this.

 

[EyeAmEye]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BloodSugar00 /img/forum/go_quote.gif There quite some compliments and assertions EveAmEye!! I know some experienced IEM users, yourself an example, obviously, really endorse the Sleeks, even when compared to (far) more expensive IEM's and/or with more drivers and/or customs!! I know sound appeal is all very subjective but this really says a lot for what Sleek Audio have managed to achieve with the SA6! I myself love em, but these being my first set of IEM's and indeed, high quality headphones, I currently have no comparative experience to be able to assess the SA6 against. However, I'm awaiting a set of SE530's, of all things, so it will be interesting to listen to those and start building that comparative experience up! Definitely an audiophile. Just currently not that experienced a one!

Believe me no one was more surprised at the SA6 than I was. I purchased it out of pure curiosity. The whole tuning port thing intrigued me, so I took a stab at it. I had already owned the UE11 for several months and was fully expecting to play around with the ports for a few weeks and then sell them off. Only way they are getting sold off is if the Sleek custom model surpasses it.

Good luck on the SE530, you might find your take on it is quite different from mine.

 

[BloodSugar00]

Quote:

Originally Posted by EyeAmEye /img/forum/go_quote.gif Believe me no one was more surprised at the SA6 than I was. I purchased it out of pure curiosity. The whole tuning port thing intrigued me, so I took a stab at it. I had already owned the UE11 for several months and was fully expecting to play around with the ports for a few weeks and then sell them off. Only way they are getting sold off is if the Sleek custom model surpasses it. Good luck on the SE530, you might find your take on it is quite different from mine.

Yeah, it was experienced headphone listeners, like yourself, who endorsed the SA6 over most of the IEM competition out there, that ultimately made me choose them, also with budget considered. Needless to say I'm not disappointed! However, being my first set of IEM's I am still experimenting with things like (depth of) insertion and being able to identify a perfect seal, either with flanges or foam. I know I am still getting used to this. Don't get me wrong, I'm still getting a good sound out of my SA6 but, you know, I expect with more experience of using IEM's it will only get better if anything, once I can consistently recognise and achieve a good insertion and seal.

It will be interesting to get my hands on the SE530's. Can't wait to be honest! I'm sure I'll have a different take to yourself, how different being the question, but just have to wait and see!

 

[elnero]

I had meant to do a full review of the SA6's with a comparison to the E530's as I owned E500/E530's for quite some time and replaced them with SA6's, unfortunately I hit a very busy spell at work and it got put on the backburner.

Yes I replaced my E500's with SA6's but that's not to say the SA6's are clearly better, I'd put them in the same league, they're just somewhat different. As mentioned with Sleek's VQ system the SA6's have the capability to have a more present and extended treble range than the Shure's but it's also possible to knock it back to be more similar to the Shure's if that's your preference. No matter what though, the SA6's have a clean, clear, sibilance free treble which is a must for me.

The biggest differences between the two are probably transient speed and decay rate. The SA6's are faster both in transient speed and decay which IMO gives them a better sense of PRaT. The E500's on the other hand have a somewhat fuller sound that, while a bit slower does tend to capture tonality a little more. A good illustration for the difference might be acoustic guitar, I noted on the E500's one got a better sense of the resonance and tone of the body but the transients of the actual notes being played were softened. The SA6's on the other hand lacked some of the body the E500's had but they handled the transients in a much more realistic fashion.

When the comparing the mids I noticed that the E500's seemed to have a funny rise whereas the SA6's seemed more even and natural sounding.

Bass is another area that can be altered quite a bit with the SA6's and depending on the port along with the combination of treble tubes used the character can change somewhat. Certain combinations just seem to work better for me particularly with respect to PRaT. The SA6's extend down just to the nether regions just as well if not better than the E500's and I believe it's possible for the SA6's to get the bass of the SA6's to a similar volume but again, the E500's sound a bit fuller through the bass whereas the SA6's are snappier which gives one a sense that the E500's have more. Another aspect of the SA6's is they don't have quite the transient snap on drums, this is somewhat dependant on the VQ configuration, in my current configuration it's not really an issue but it is something I've noticed. This is a bit contrary to the overall nature of the SA6's but I suspect it's more correct and the bit of funny push in the E500's midrange I noted may be giving snare drums that little extra pop.

Soundstage is another fairly significant difference. The E500's are the only IEM that I've tried that is able to push the image out so vocals are more in front of you than right in your head. The SA6's don't accomplish this feat, the image starts more in your head and it doesn't have quite the width but they do have better depth going almost as far back as the E500's and the SA6's also have better height than the E500's.

Overall, when it came down to sound it was a bit of a toss up, I really like the full sound of the E500's but the SA6's aren't too far off the mark in this regard and IMO make up for it with their better transient response. Add in the ability to fine tune the sound to preference, replaceable cables, the ability to wear them straight down or over the ear, a much more comfortable fit for me, a cheaper price and the excellent customer service the SA6's were a no-brainer for me.

Edit: I just wrote this up quick so it's a bit rough, hopefully it comes across ok but if not just ask for clarifications and I'll do my best to answer.

 

[robojack]

I really can't wait for Sleek to come out with their ++ bass ports. It should really add some needed thump to them.

 

[BloodSugar00]

Quote:

Originally Posted by robojack /img/forum/go_quote.gif I really can't wait for Sleek to come out with their ++ bass ports. It should really add some needed thump to them.

I 2nd that!

 

[majurglery]

Well, thanks for the replies, and i think im going to save some cash and buy the Sa6

 

[qusp]

I'm curious about these, but there seems to be too many failure points in their manufacture; anything that is designed to be pulled apart, can also fall apart and those little pieces must be tiny. Still interested to hear how they sound with the Bass + + ports. that might win me over. need.... more.... bass...must....drain.... wallet

I don't have any need for more detail in the high ranges. the triple.fi was already a bit bright for me with some music and I found that I needed to use an EQ or it would become fatiguing at higher listening levels.

Also IMHO the SA6 is THE UGLIEST IEM EVER, my Triple.fi's were bad enough. My SE530 is the only one that I dont feel like I'm some sort of cyborg wearing. Sleek must refer to something else other than appearance

 

[david21]

Quote:

Originally Posted by EyeAmEye /img/forum/go_quote.gif Having owned the SE530 twice, I can say I easily prefer the SA6. Biggest difference between the two is the treble. The SE530's has the infamous treble rolloff

Can you explain to me/us what treble rolloff means? Thanks

 

[ClieOS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by david21 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Can you explain to me/us what treble rolloff means? Thanks

Ever see a frequency response graph? Treble rolloff means the response on the treble region goes down suddenly in a downhill fashion (hence the word 'rolloff'). In translation, it means the earphone doesn't produce good upper treble.

 

[david21]

That cleared things up. Thank you!