[productred]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheMarchingMule /img/forum/go_quote.gif Recessed vocals, hollow percussion, lack of energy, stuck treble ports (took me 10 minutes to get one off just now), their sound signature reminds me almost of my old UE super.fi 5 Pro model, and I greatly prefer my Koss KSC75 over this. And yes, I tried all the ports and their combinations; the things I noted in the first paragraph all carry the hint of all those characteristics in some way, shape, or form in the music. Guess it's time to either get a refund or sell it here.

Agree that yours may be defective. our tastes may vary, but our perception should not be such polar opposites. These produce the best vocals for me, and those descriptions of you really cannot possibly be linked to the SA6. to the super.fis? probably.

think they may be willing to swap a pair for you?

 

[TheMarchingMule]

Thanks for the comments and feedback, guys. I have since switched to the small tips, and that has helped a decent amount, but I think I am still very spoiled by my home setup, and secretly have wanted to buy the triple.fi IEMs for awhile now.

My main beef with most 'phones in general is that they can't really capture then snap of percussion, followed by a lack of realistic air (to me, RS-2 is brilliant for that; K701 is exaggerated too much). I always feel like there is a thin but noticeable bed sheet or two over everything I'm hearing with the SA6, and that may be either because I'm been hanging around in my school's band room for too long, or I just really am a Grado fan.

So off I go soon to email SoundEarphones.com to return the SA6, and to save up for a triple.fi!

 

[ClieOS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoyEnergizer /img/forum/go_quote.gif After I heard Triple-Fi, SA6 can't compete with Triples, they are totally in different league!!

For overall performance, I'll say TF10 is indeed better than SA6 (that's the price difference there), but on certain genres, I actually prefer SA6 over TF10... Actually, my initial feeling about TF10 is closely resemble yours, but after a week of calming down and getting the RE1 certainly put one point into my head - TF10 is not perfect (nor is SA6).

It will be great if I can hear an IEM with TF10's mid-to-high and RE1's mid-to-bass - that will be my perfect IEM.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

The only perfect universal that I've heard was the Westone 3 last September, so I sit and wait after selling my Triple.fi in January (thinking they'd ship 1st quarter)...

 

[SirCanealot]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cn11 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Agree as well... once you get into nice equipment it really makes it hard to listen to crappy recordings! You just experience the music more if the quality of the recording / mastering is top-notch.

My point wasthe SA6's won't reproduce rich bass tones with tons of low mids. The only example I can think of is one of the songs I use to test bass response in speakers (but the youtube craps out the bass quite a bit):

YouTube - Dredg - same old road

My CX300s were a lot more "balanced", imo.

On the SA6s, this sort of bass tone is pretty recessed and doesn't have the correct punch or warmth -- it seems like it's pushed to the back of the mix. Unless I turn the EQ up that is (then it's 100% fine)

However, I just hooked up the SA6s to my bass guitar effects pedal via the phones output. The amount of bass these things can handle is just insane -- I can't even get these to distort with a very high output bass/effects unit running into them (my CX300s would distort pretty easily).

And I've been listening with my SA6s tons and are getting adjusted to them -- liking them more and more

 

[tstarn06]

I guess my budget to sound ratio is just about right at the SA6 price, and SQ aside (the Sleeks are way good for my limited audiophile ears), I also like their size, and the fact that if I break the cable, I can replace it for $20, and also they might be wireless some day. Getting back to the perfect IEM, even if they made one (Westone 3?), I probably have hit my personal spending limit, which is why I like the SA6s so much. They call it the "halo" effect in basic psycholgy. I know it's my spending limit, so they might sound even better than they would otherwise (and I have never heard phones that cost $400+).

Anyway, my musical tastes (jazz, vocals, classic rock, folk-rock, etc) are also a good match for the SA6s' sweet spot.

 

[tnmike1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoyEnergizer /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have ER4-P, q-Jays, SA6 and Triple-fi(just got them today). I read again and again about member EyeAmEye was prefering SA6 over other high end phones like UE10 and Triples but can't agree. I know music listening is very subjective thing. After I heard Triple-Fi, SA6 can't compete with Triples, they are totally in different league!! I know the size issues and and comfort issues of Triples, however THEY SOUND AMAZING!!! totally make my SA6 sound like crap!!! I am not joking, Triple-fi is better in EVERY ASPECTS in SS and SQ to my ears!! Sound or Headstage is wider and 3D like (I can listen the vertical soundstage), Treble is very Accurate and Smooth, Mid is laid back to other instrument but not missing anything, Bass is more articulate and Deep. Better Treble, Better Mid, Definitely Better bass than SA6. SA6 is good for natural sounds like Jazz and Classics, upfront Mid of SA6 is very good when it comes to vocals and guitar but I found out when I listened to the musics that gets busy with many instruments sounds (specially in electronics like Trance, House, Rock) They Definitely missing and muffle some seperations and details. However that's only when the music goes loud and busy but those musics are what I listen most of the time. Maybe that's SA6's limit since it has only single amarture driver... Did anybody experienced that sounds get mixed up badly and sounds like muffled when music get busy? When the musics are busy, I definitely prefer Triples and q-Jays. OMG Head-fi People, Triples are fantastic in SQ to my ears but they are also huge compare to SA6 and q-Jays. SA6 and q-Jays handles the music differently... Why isn't there perfect phones!!!

I had the Triple Fi for about two months and simply could NOT get a good fit. Tried every tip, every suggestion on these boards and nothing. So sold them and went back to SA6. Now fiddling with the various conformations and finding them quite enjoyable. And perhaps beating my Ety4p as well. All this said, I'm using an Imod/Portaphile/portable v-cap combination so all this might add to the sonic experience.

 

[tstarn06]

Interesting. More evidence that in-ear phones are about more than SQ alone. Have to have the right combo of ergomics and SQ to be right. SA6s hit that spot for me too.

 

[elnero]

There really is never going to be a perfect IEM or headphone because personal preference comes into play, hence the Sennheiser vs. Grado, Ety vs. Shure type debates. Not only that but I'm also starting to believe people are correct that with IEM's there will be a wider variance in perceived performance because of how they couple directly with the ear so differences in size and shape could account for fairly wide differences in perception. Mix the two together and I think you'll get fairly widely varied opinions.

 

[Navyblue]

I would not describe the SA6 as recessed midrange too, in fact the direct opposite, I find it a midrange dominant phone.

Though I agree that the bass is recessed.

I'm not so sure about this, during complex and loud passage I seem to hear things falling apart too.

As for triple.fi is better than SA6, I don't quite agree, I wouldn't throw them in the same sound category at all, comparison is a bit like apple to orange.

Triple.fi has a very large sound stage for an IEM. High, mid and low sound distant and uninvolving to me, and I kinda strike it off my list. Another thing that I don't like is it has too much high for me, and I can't really make it sound right with the EQ of my Sony DAP. What stands out to me is it has a very refined and smooth sound, a property that only found in high end phones.

SA6 is mid dominant to me. The mid is very upfront, and the rest seems to fall back a bit. I listen primarily vocal and saxophone instrumental, thus midrange is very important to me to convey the emotion and intimacy of the music. To me if I don't get the emotion of the music, it is not much better than listening to non audiophile grade phones.

But still, I can't decide between the ER4P and the SA6.

I kept going back and forth, and lately tending more towards SA6. But the report of defective sets kinda push me back slightly.

If there is a perfect formula for a sound, there won't be so many different sounding phones in the market.

 

[EyeAmEye]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoyEnergizer /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have ER4-P, q-Jays, SA6 and Triple-fi(just got them today). I read again and again about member EyeAmEye was prefering SA6 over other high end phones like UE10 and Triples but can't agree. I know music listening is very subjective thing. After I heard Triple-Fi, SA6 can't compete with Triples, they are totally in different league!! I know the size issues and and comfort issues of Triples, however THEY SOUND AMAZING!!! totally make my SA6 sound like crap!!! I am not joking, Triple-fi is better in EVERY ASPECTS in SS and SQ to my ears!! Sound or Headstage is wider and 3D like (I can listen the vertical soundstage), Treble is very Accurate and Smooth, Mid is laid back to other instrument but not missing anything, Bass is more articulate and Deep. Better Treble, Better Mid, Definitely Better bass than SA6. SA6 is good for natural sounds like Jazz and Classics, upfront Mid of SA6 is very good when it comes to vocals and guitar but I found out when I listened to the musics that gets busy with many instruments sounds (specially in electronics like Trance, House, Rock) They Definitely missing and muffle some seperations and details. However that's only when the music goes loud and busy but those musics are what I listen most of the time. Maybe that's SA6's limit since it has only single amarture driver... Did anybody experienced that sounds get mixed up badly and sounds like muffled when music get busy? When the musics are busy, I definitely prefer Triples and q-Jays. OMG Head-fi People, Triples are fantastic in SQ to my ears but they are also huge compare to SA6 and q-Jays. SA6 and q-Jays handles the music differently... Why isn't there perfect phones!!!

The Triple.Fi was pleasant enough to me, but sounded somewhat boring, and the recessed midrange was annoying. Loved the treble though, best I've ever heard in an IEM.

Small correction, I own the UE11, not the UE10. Don't want to confuse anyone who might be considering going for either of them. The UE11 is allegedly far more bass heavy than the UE10.

I am wondering how far most SA6 owners insert them into the ear canal(might have already been covered earlier in the thread). I find the deeper in they go, the worse they sound. The sweet spot is right at the entrance to the ear canal for me, similar to the way any UE universal would be seated. Soundstage is noticeably increased as well as the high end.

 

[elnero]

I'm now using small Shure black olives. They insert a bit deeper than the mediums did but the back of the foam is still pretty much flush with my ear canal opening. I believe this is still a bit shallower insert than if I was using the bi-flanges though.

 

[tstarn06]

Excellent point about depth. I use Shure yellow foamies or Comply T400s with my Sleeks, and I agree that the Sleeks sound best when not inserted too deeply, at least with the foamies. I'm just lucky that both of those foamies, which I really like, fit my ear canals perfectly. Though they are hard to separate from the treble tubes when its time to change foamies. In fact, I have the treble tubes I am not using stored with the tips still on them. One downside to the removable treble tubes.

 

[SirCanealot]

Quote:

Originally Posted by EyeAmEye /img/forum/go_quote.gif I am wondering how far most SA6 owners insert them into the ear canal(might have already been covered earlier in the thread). I find the deeper in they go, the worse they sound. The sweet spot is right at the entrance to the ear canal for me, similar to the way any UE universal would be seated. Soundstage is noticeably increased as well as the high end.

I didn't think about doing this -- must be why I thought the large buds that come with the SA6s sounded a little bit better -- they're just slightly too big for my ears, so it means they sit right at the entrance in a pretty comfy way

I do notice the bass and low mids are a bit better when pushed in fully, but the overall soundstage and the highs do get a litte crushed.

 

[TheMarchingMule]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SirCanealot /img/forum/go_quote.gif I didn't think about doing this -- must be why I thought the large buds that come with the SA6s sounded a little bit better -- they're just slightly too big for my ears, so it means they sit right at the entrance in a pretty comfy way I do notice the bass and low mids are a bit better when pushed in fully, but the overall soundstage and the highs do get a litte crushed.

That's what I felt too...like no matter what, if I tweak it to make certain aspects of its sound become better (to my ears, at least), then it always immediately sacrifices other frequencies in other places.