[Albinoni]

It looks to me that the RE0's are very well loved IEM here on this forum and people dont seem to stop talking about it, infact I am sure alot here prefer them over the UE Super Fi 4 and 5 IEMs as well, so my Q here at the moment my first true pair of IEMs I have are Klipsch Image S4, should I also add a RE0 to my collection as well.

Some Q's re the RE0

1. How would you decribe the sound of the RE0, would you say better than
some costing twice as much ?

2. How good is the bass ?
3. Clarity ?
4. Are they loud?
5. Better to use with a CMOY or headphone amp?
6. Comfort ?
7. Is the sound neutral ?
8. Comparison against the UE SuperFi 4 ?
9. Are they open or close back ?

Thanks

 

[StereoIntegrity]

the bass is decent if u have a good enough DAP....they are very clear and are also very neutral...they are an open back with jus 2 super tiny holes and are very comfortable...tho u should use an amp to push these

 

[Albinoni]

Quote:

Originally Posted by StereoIntegrity /img/forum/go_quote.gif the bass is decent if u have a good enough DAP....they are very clear and are also very neutral...they are an open back with jus 2 super tiny holes and are very comfortable...tho u should use an amp to push these

Ok my DAPs are:

1. Creative ZVM
2. Creative Zen Touch
3. Craetive Nomad Jukebox
4. Cowon i Audio 6
5. Sansa Fuze
6. Sony Discman (cant recall model No.)

 

[theKraken11]

1. I wouldn't really know, since I haven't tried many IEMs. Personally, their sound sig doesn't suit my tastes enough to the point that I would pay the original MSRP for them.

2. It's not pounding, but it goes down deep and what's there is quality bass. I was happy with it, personally, so to give you a sense of my own tastes, bass is the second most important part of the frequency range for me, even though I'm not a basshead.

3. They are very clear. This is one of the RE0's strongest selling points.

4. It depends on your source. On my laptop, they were loud.

5. I only tried it with the Fiio E5 (using the included cable) and I didn't notice a difference. Bass boost did change the lower frequency response, but this was not a plus for me since I wasn't looking for a change in the bass.

6. Can't really comment.

7. Many people would say it is, but I don't really think so. When I think of neutral, I always think mid-centric. The RE0's are treble-centric, and because the signature is laid back, nothing really stands out about their frequency response but the treble. The whole range is close to tonal accuracy, but the mids and the bass might not be forward enough for someone who wants a neutral sound. They are definitely transparent, but this comes with the downside of harshness on some recordings

.

8. Haven't tried it.

9. Closed. I remember there being a small port for air on the housing, but it's too small to be bad for isolation.

 

[rawrster]

It really depends on what you want. My ownership of the S4 and RE0 overlapped each other for around 3-4 weeks. They really are very different iem's with very different sound signatures.

1. The sound signature of the RE0 is balanced. It is also fairly smooth or it was to my ears. The bass however lacks impact. If you enjoy this kind of sound signature then you will enjoy the RE0 very much and may possibly choose this over much more expensive sets. For example, I owned the TF10 and RE0 at the same time. I would take RE0 over TF10 at any price since I enjoy the sound signature of the RE0 much more than the TF10.

2. That depends on what you consider good bass. I was able to hear the bass and the bass was not muddy like some other iems (read: CX300). It does lack impact like I mentioned earlier so you will not be able to feel like compared to others. If you are a basshead I would suggest you stay away.

3. They have nice clarity.

4. Loud? If you mean does this go to volume levels that are unsafe on a dap? If that is what you mean then yes. I was using a Cowon D2 while I had the RE0 and they were plenty loud however I do not believe that they can be driven properly unamped but I have not tried all the dap's so I am unsure about that. That does not mean that they sound like crap unamped cuz they sound great but not to their max ability.

5. I was using a mini^3 with it. That is probably the minimum in terms of quality amps you should consider if you are thinking about amping them

6. I found them comfortable but I did need to use phonak ear guides with them since the cable would fall out of my ears unless I use the slider and I did not want to do that. I was using decored olives with them mostly.

7. The sound is fairly neutral yes.

8. I have never heard them so cannot compare

9. I'm not really sure to be honest. They do have small hole but I don't know if there really is much purpose in those. I did get fairly good isolation with these iem's.

Ultimately it comes down to what kind of sound you are after. It would make no sense if you wanted something similar to the S4 sound and got the RE0. They are extremely different and you can tell right away. If you wanted different signatures then you might want to consider the RE0. If you had to ask me to choose between the two it would not even be close. I would choose the RE0 all the time but it offers the type of signature that I want while the S4 does not.

 

[Marcus_C]

I have quite a few iem's in the same price range as the re0's and have never owned them and don't feel like i'm missing out but if everything i've read about them is true they have a sound signature much closer to my etymotics than my old s4's.

Because I listen to such a wide variety of music i find it helps having a few iem's with different signatures as i prefer some for some music styles so if i walk out the house with my ue sf-3's i end up listening to acoustic music all day. It provides some flexibility, at least that's my excuse should anyone ask...

 

[Albinoni]

Ok I have been asked here what sound signature I want re the IEMs, well first off I do like my bass and 2ndly I do like a nice full body rich sound. My overhead headphones such as my AKG's K450, Audio Technica's ATH-ES7's, Grado SR80 and Allesandros MS-1's all have a full rich sound stage with with nice good bass. Also I have read that the Klipsch Image S4 also has very good bass and is also quite a full bodied sound, so now just wondering if the sound stage of the RE0's meet the requiments of my overhead headphones.

 

[semisight]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Albinoni /img/forum/go_quote.gif Ok I have been asked here what sound signature I want re the IEMs, well first off I do like my bass and 2ndly I do like a nice full body rich sound. My overhead headphones such as my AKG's K450, Audio Technica's ATH-ES7's, Grado SR80 and Allesandros MS-1's all have a full rich sound stage with with nice good bass. Also I have read that the Klipsch Image S4 also has very good bass and is also quite a full bodied sound, so now just wondering if the sound stage of the RE0's meet the requiments of my overhead headphones.

The soundstage of the RE0 with the stock bi flange tips is fairly close to Grados. The bass does not kick like on a full size, it politely taps you on the shoulder. With the right tips it's still fairly immersive. The RE0 needs a warm amp for a true full bodied sound; without it it may sound a bit thin.

After what you wrote here I doubt you'll be satisfied with the RE0. I might suggest the Hippo VB or Fischer Eterna as a substitute. Nothing beats the RE0 for clarity, but bass probably won't be where you want it to be.

 

[bba1973]

RE0's kill S4's in pretty much everything except bass quantity. I've got both. My RE0's broke after 6 months, and I had to use my S4's for a while. The clarity, treble, and details of the RE0 make me prefer it over the S4's by far. Head-Direct has great customer service (in my experience).

For amping, I've only tried them with a cmoy. It helps about 2-3%. Slightly punchier bass and overall better, but barely noticeable. rawrster, how much did the mini^3 help, and what all did it do? I really want one now

.

If you've got the money, add it to your collection.

 

[Trysaeder]

Is there an iem similar to the re0 but with better build quality and slightly more bass(optional)?

Been looking at the Phonak PFE and the CK10 but I don't know much about them.

 

[Trysaeder]

..

 

[Albinoni]

Quote:

Originally Posted by semisight /img/forum/go_quote.gif The soundstage of the RE0 with the stock bi flange tips is fairly close to Grados. The bass does not kick like on a full size, it politely taps you on the shoulder. With the right tips it's still fairly immersive. The RE0 needs a warm amp for a true full bodied sound; without it it may sound a bit thin. After what you wrote here I doubt you'll be satisfied with the RE0. I might suggest the Hippo VB or Fischer Eterna as a substitute. Nothing beats the RE0 for clarity, but bass probably won't be where you want it to be.

I dont need bass all the time, and sometimes I like to have or hear a different sound stage,eg sometimes I will listen to Classicl Music or Elvis, or music from the 60's and 70;s, not this hard core bass pumping stuff u get today. Like I said sometimes I am in the mood for a change.

 

[semisight]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trysaeder /img/forum/go_quote.gif Is there an iem similar to the re0 but with better build quality and slightly more bass(optional)? Been looking at the Phonak PFE and the CK10 but I don't know much about them.

CK10, HJE900, RE252. The RE252 will obviously be the closest, always described as having more bass than the RE0, but maybe not worth the asking price. The CK10 has been described as a true upgrade (whereas the RE252 is more of a cross-grade) to the RE0, supposedly with more bass. Considering price the $109 HJE900 is probably the way I'd go.

 

[james444]

^ Here's my comparison of the RE0, RE252 and PFE (ignore the others and the part about EQing).

The RE252 is overall more refined than the RE0, and so is the CK10. The main drawback on the RE252 is its strange gummy material and shape, meaning it's a lint magnet and can be uncomfortable to fit. The CK10 has much better built, but needs deep insertion to deliver good bass. If you (like me) are unable to get a deep seal, you'll likely find them bass-light.

Speaking of which, the HJE900 is significantly bassier than the others, while retaining good detail and highs. They are also easy to fit. If you like a bit more bottom end, they'd be the way to go.