Sony announces the "Just ear" brand of custom IEMs
Oct 30, 2019 at 12:58 AM Post #331 of 471
Those are reasons why modern musicians opt for over ear designs with ear monitors. Most musicians put the cable behind them as well which would be risky for bullet designs.

That's ridiculous. I'm a musician who studied music composition and performance for four years at conservatory. I prefer IEMs like IE800s.
You may need over the ear type IEM when performing and dancing... but I doubt if that's practical for daily use. I don't think it has any advantage.
Also, don't trust all these musician sponsor reviews for IEMs... many of them stick with studio monitors when they record music. They don't take IEMs seriously.

Noise reduction? that's nonsense. IE800s and K3003 are already amazing. They never need over the ear type cable. and over the ear iBasso IEMs are much worse than the both.
 
Last edited:
Oct 30, 2019 at 1:14 AM Post #332 of 471
That's ridiculous. I'm a musician who studied music composition and performance for four years at conservatory. I prefer IEMs like IE800s.
You may need over the ear type IEM when performing and dancing... but I doubt if that's practical for daily use. I don't think it has any advantage.
Also, don't trust all these musician sponsor reviews for IEMs... many of them stick with studio monitors when they record music. They don't take IEMs seriously.

Noise reduction? that's nonsense. IE800s and K3003 are already amazing. They never need over the ear type cable. and over the ear iBasso IEMs are much worse than the both.

On stage I simply think over ear is better. For recording and mastering purposes, producers would use speakers as well. But if you're a live stage engineer, a ear monitor is better suited for the job.

And as you already put it - over ear are better for performers. It allows for more mobility. The over ear design aids in stress relief which is important for comfort.

I have owned 3-4 cable-down IEMs so far and I can't go back to that. Even with cable down items I wear them over ear. There's just better weight distribution. Lighter cable-down iems like ie800 is fine, but when you get to heavier item like the JVC FD01, it's a bigger problem.

Noise reduction isn't noise isolation but rather the mechanical noise of the cable when it contacts your body. Try it with something like Etymotics and it becomes very significant. A shirt clip helps with this a lot as well.
 
Last edited:
Subtonic Audio Cutting-edge artisanal in-ear monitors for discerning listeners. Proudly designed and manufactured in Singapore. Stay updated on Subtonic Audio at their sponsor profile on Head-Fi.
 
https://www.facebook.com/Subtonic.Audio https://www.instagram.com/subtonicaudio https://subtonic.audio support@subtonic.audio
Oct 30, 2019 at 1:19 AM Post #333 of 471
On stage I simply think over ear is better. For recording and mastering purposes, producers would use speakers as well. But if you're a live stage engineer, a ear monitor is better suited for the job.

Noise reduction isn't noise isolation but rather the mechanical noise of the cable when it contacts your body. Try it with something like Etymotics and it becomes very significant. A shirt clip helps with this a lot as well.

Etymotic IEMs are not over the ear type IEMs btw.
They sound amazing without having to hang cables around your ears...
and yes, ER4SR is a great reference IEM. If you're a live audio engineer, you could use ER4SR.

The only practical usages for over the ear IEMs are when you're performing on stage or jogging.
I don't think it's required for general music listening and I don't understand why companies manufacture over the ear type IEMs for no practical reason. This trend must stop.
 
Last edited:
Oct 30, 2019 at 1:49 AM Post #334 of 471
Etymotic IEMs are not over the ear type IEMs btw.
They sound amazing without cables hanging around your ears.
and yes, ER4SR is a great reference IEM. If you're a live audio engineer, you could use ER4SR.

The only practical usages for over the ear IEMs are when you're performing on stage or jogging.
I don't think it's required for general music listening and I don't understand why companies manufacture over the ear type IEMs for no practical reason. This trend must stop.

The whole point of me typing the whole 2 posts above was to explain that there are benefits to even wearing cable-down as over ears. I agree with over ears not being a necessity for daily life.

Cheers
 
Subtonic Audio Cutting-edge artisanal in-ear monitors for discerning listeners. Proudly designed and manufactured in Singapore. Stay updated on Subtonic Audio at their sponsor profile on Head-Fi.
 
https://www.facebook.com/Subtonic.Audio https://www.instagram.com/subtonicaudio https://subtonic.audio support@subtonic.audio
Oct 30, 2019 at 2:55 AM Post #335 of 471
Over ear designs allows you to hang the iems over your ear (meaning you can take them off for a bit to hear the audience while on stage or just listening what someone else has to say. It's also a failsafe design where if the IEMs fall out of your ear, the hook will be there to catch it from falling.

The other aspect is with weight distribution. Hanging iems with down-ear/bullet designs are heavier and less stable.

Lastly, over ear designs reduce mechanical noise of the cable when it smacks against your shirt/body. Which is why some Etymotic users complain about the noise when they walk. The solution is to use Etys over ear to reduce it.

Those are reasons why modern musicians opt for over ear designs with ear monitors. Most musicians put the cable behind them as well which would be risky for bullet designs.
Totally agree and I'm not a musician.
 
Oct 30, 2019 at 3:42 AM Post #336 of 471
On stage I simply think over ear is better. For recording and mastering purposes, producers would use speakers as well. But if you're a live stage engineer, a ear monitor is better suited for the job.

And as you already put it - over ear are better for performers. It allows for more mobility. The over ear design aids in stress relief which is important for comfort.

I have owned 3-4 cable-down IEMs so far and I can't go back to that. Even with cable down items I wear them over ear. There's just better weight distribution. Lighter cable-down iems like ie800 is fine, but when you get to heavier item like the JVC FD01, it's a bigger problem.

Noise reduction isn't noise isolation but rather the mechanical noise of the cable when it contacts your body. Try it with something like Etymotics and it becomes very significant. A shirt clip helps with this a lot as well.

Totally agree. Now cable-over-ear is a must for me. I am a performing musician and am also always listening to music thru iems when on the road. There are loads of advantages in the over ear design while I can't really think of any pros in the straight down design that outdo those advantages. Of cos YMMV but can't see why the trend should stop as obviously a lot more people in the hobby prefer the cable over ear design.
 
Oct 30, 2019 at 5:21 AM Post #337 of 471
Whether you like it over the ears or not, you are not going to change it, Sony Japan are strict and stick to the main design, you might as well look elsewhere, while you are going through the process, HK is a better choice that Japan in making the purchase, no set day in making the purchase.
 
Jan 4, 2020 at 6:19 AM Post #338 of 471
With a help of some friends, they're finally in my hands in California, XJE-MH2R Listening.
Ordered them Nov 2nd at the Fujiya Avic Headphone Festival and had the impression done then.
81181732_10102334803686642_5134264357303091200_o.jpg 81329183_10102334803726562_8965859009106018304_o.jpg
 
Last edited:
Feb 13, 2020 at 9:24 AM Post #340 of 471
With a help of some friends, they're finally in my hands in California, XJE-MH2R Listening.
Ordered them Nov 2nd at the Fujiya Avic Headphone Festival and had the impression done then.
81181732_10102334803686642_5134264357303091200_o.jpg 81329183_10102334803726562_8965859009106018304_o.jpg
so this is the full hard-shell version with updated sound signature???
 
Mar 13, 2020 at 3:33 PM Post #341 of 471
Anyone here have or received the XJE-MH2RC (the Club Versions) recently? I have to say I've never been so disappointed in something but I'm just hoping I got a bad setup.

I was in Japan in Dec and one of my main goals was to demo the Justears. I did a short demo at the Sony Store in Ginza and then I listen for a solid 90 minutes at the impression shop in Aoyama. Totally blown away and in love with the Club Versions, even if I could never get a perfect fit. But thats what the custom part is for, of course. I ordered and had impressions done that day, and eagerly awaited my new toys.

I received them on Monday of this week. For those wondering, my wife is Japanese and we had her brother pick them up and ship them to me in America. From my listening experience, and from reading/watching every lil bit of info I can find, the first thing people mention with the club version is the incredible bass. I have listened to them over 10 hours the last few days and I have yet to find a single piece of bass. Not low bass or not enough bass..NO Bass. Like, bass turned off. I couldn't even get bass out of them listening to songs like Royals-Lorde or Middle Child-J Cole. I'm pretty sure I have a bad setup or something isn't right but I wanted to see if anyone else has gone thru this. My wife is drafting an email to them. I won't return to Japan till July (or later if coronapocalypse is still going on) so I can't talk to them directly.

My Noble K10 sound like basshead IEMs next to these. I know thats not right.
 
Mar 13, 2020 at 8:44 PM Post #342 of 471
Anyone here have or received the XJE-MH2RC (the Club Versions) recently? I have to say I've never been so disappointed in something but I'm just hoping I got a bad setup.

I was in Japan in Dec and one of my main goals was to demo the Justears. I did a short demo at the Sony Store in Ginza and then I listen for a solid 90 minutes at the impression shop in Aoyama. Totally blown away and in love with the Club Versions, even if I could never get a perfect fit. But thats what the custom part is for, of course. I ordered and had impressions done that day, and eagerly awaited my new toys.

I received them on Monday of this week. For those wondering, my wife is Japanese and we had her brother pick them up and ship them to me in America. From my listening experience, and from reading/watching every lil bit of info I can find, the first thing people mention with the club version is the incredible bass. I have listened to them over 10 hours the last few days and I have yet to find a single piece of bass. Not low bass or not enough bass..NO Bass. Like, bass turned off. I couldn't even get bass out of them listening to songs like Royals-Lorde or Middle Child-J Cole. I'm pretty sure I have a bad setup or something isn't right but I wanted to see if anyone else has gone thru this. My wife is drafting an email to them. I won't return to Japan till July (or later if coronapocalypse is still going on) so I can't talk to them directly.

My Noble K10 sound like basshead IEMs next to these. I know thats not right.
Hi Bootup22!

I recently purchased the Club Tuning as well.
It is bright sounding and bass is ample to me. But not bass head level.
Then again, that is what I'm going for.

Just sharing my experience.
 
Mar 15, 2020 at 11:10 PM Post #343 of 471
Anyone here have or received the XJE-MH2RC (the Club Versions) recently? I have to say I've never been so disappointed in something but I'm just hoping I got a bad setup.

I was in Japan in Dec and one of my main goals was to demo the Justears. I did a short demo at the Sony Store in Ginza and then I listen for a solid 90 minutes at the impression shop in Aoyama. Totally blown away and in love with the Club Versions, even if I could never get a perfect fit. But thats what the custom part is for, of course. I ordered and had impressions done that day, and eagerly awaited my new toys.

I received them on Monday of this week. For those wondering, my wife is Japanese and we had her brother pick them up and ship them to me in America. From my listening experience, and from reading/watching every lil bit of info I can find, the first thing people mention with the club version is the incredible bass. I have listened to them over 10 hours the last few days and I have yet to find a single piece of bass. Not low bass or not enough bass..NO Bass. Like, bass turned off. I couldn't even get bass out of them listening to songs like Royals-Lorde or Middle Child-J Cole. I'm pretty sure I have a bad setup or something isn't right but I wanted to see if anyone else has gone thru this. My wife is drafting an email to them. I won't return to Japan till July (or later if coronapocalypse is still going on) so I can't talk to them directly.

My Noble K10 sound like basshead IEMs next to these. I know thats not right.

A lack of bass with a new iem almost invariably a matter of fit, even for customs. Not necessarily a flaw with production.

One question: is your K10 a custom or the universal version?

My suggestions:
(1) Listen to the Justears exclusively and nothing else. Not the K10, not anything else, just them.
(2) You are probably aware of it already, but putting on a custom is not just a matter of pushing them in - instead it's more of a twisting and twirling exercise. The Justear fit is made to be slightly looser than other brands for comfort (there's a learning curve to that if you are used to tight fitting iems/ciems), but it can fit perfectly AS LONG AS you don't put in anything else with a large-ish silicon or foam tip that'd expand your ear canals a bit in between listening sessions.
 
Mar 16, 2020 at 1:32 AM Post #344 of 471
Anyone here have or received the XJE-MH2RC (the Club Versions) recently? I have to say I've never been so disappointed in something but I'm just hoping I got a bad setup.

I was in Japan in Dec and one of my main goals was to demo the Justears. I did a short demo at the Sony Store in Ginza and then I listen for a solid 90 minutes at the impression shop in Aoyama. Totally blown away and in love with the Club Versions, even if I could never get a perfect fit. But thats what the custom part is for, of course. I ordered and had impressions done that day, and eagerly awaited my new toys.

I received them on Monday of this week. For those wondering, my wife is Japanese and we had her brother pick them up and ship them to me in America. From my listening experience, and from reading/watching every lil bit of info I can find, the first thing people mention with the club version is the incredible bass. I have listened to them over 10 hours the last few days and I have yet to find a single piece of bass. Not low bass or not enough bass..NO Bass. Like, bass turned off. I couldn't even get bass out of them listening to songs like Royals-Lorde or Middle Child-J Cole. I'm pretty sure I have a bad setup or something isn't right but I wanted to see if anyone else has gone thru this. My wife is drafting an email to them. I won't return to Japan till July (or later if coronapocalypse is still going on) so I can't talk to them directly.

My Noble K10 sound like basshead IEMs next to these. I know thats not right.

K10 has a strong midbass and less subbass. So maybe you are used to that bass transition that gives more midbass and upper bass.
 
Mar 29, 2020 at 2:51 PM Post #345 of 471
A lack of bass with a new iem almost invariably a matter of fit, even for customs. Not necessarily a flaw with production.

One question: is your K10 a custom or the universal version?

My suggestions:
(1) Listen to the Justears exclusively and nothing else. Not the K10, not anything else, just them.
(2) You are probably aware of it already, but putting on a custom is not just a matter of pushing them in - instead it's more of a twisting and twirling exercise. The Justear fit is made to be slightly looser than other brands for comfort (there's a learning curve to that if you are used to tight fitting iems/ciems), but it can fit perfectly AS LONG AS you don't put in anything else with a large-ish silicon or foam tip that'd expand your ear canals a bit in between listening sessions.


I used the K10 (universal) here as an example of my collection which I consider lower on the bass end compared to everything else I own and the Justears are simply worst in every area of bass than those, which is kinda surprising and completely different from the all my demos of the Just Ears in Tokyo. I'm not looking for them to be basshead IEM (I already have U11+ CIEM and to lesser extent, Z1R, for that). I just want the bass to compliment the highs and mids like I experienced with the demos.

I'm hoping its a matter of fit and maybe even (bad words incoming) burn-in/listening time. I have a balanced Kimber Kable on them and running them thru my Hiby R5 continuously for the last 8 days and I'll take earlier suggestion about listening to them exclusively while I work this week.

I've already reached out to the Sony people (well, mostly my wife since she's Japanese) and they want me to bring them to the Aoyoma office to have a look at them.We had plans to be back next month, but that little coronavirus thing has changed those plans. I wonder if this some secret plan by Sony to get me to spend another 100,000 yen and upgrade to custom sound since they offer that now.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top