dweaver
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- Dec 23, 2008
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I was in a local Sony store (Chinook Center in Calgary) and they had the Sony EX310 on sale for $40 so I finally bit on this IEM for use at the gym so i don't accidentally wreck my expensive IEM's.
The salesman actually sounded reasonably knowledgeable and he suggested the half price on the EX310 made it a steal of a deal and suggested it was better sounding than the XBA2 and almost as good as the XBA3. So I decided $40 was a reasonable gamble.
Out of the box I was surprised by the nice quality of the carrying case and then the usual great selection of tips. Initially i was nonplused when I found it was a j-cord but do find it is less microphonic than my XBA3 cord and it drags on my neck less.
Slipping the IEM in I found them to be extremely comfortable.
The first couple of songs were a bit muddy but then the IEM started to loosen up and improve. Considering I had just been listening to the ultra clear airy UE900 prior to these, I was surprised that I found them enjoyable as quickly as I did. But NO they don't beat the $400 UE900 LOL
. Having said that, they are a brighter sounding signature with a looser stronger bass presence with slightly more recessed mids. I expect the bass may tighten up with some use (I will burn them in for a couple days and report back).
Sonically they remind me alot of the MDR-7550 but with a bit less detail and size. But at 1/6 the price on sale and 1/4 the price at regular retail they are a heck of a bargain. The one thing they have on the EX1000/600/MDR7550 is slightly better isolation and less wind noise out doors.
These are not for the bass head crowd though as they are not as good in the sub-bass or as strong as other bass oriented IEM's. But if you want a mostly balanced sound these are very good.
Not sure if all Sony Canada stores have these on sale at $40 or not but if they do these are worth their retail price in my opinion, making them an excellent bargain at $40.
The salesman actually sounded reasonably knowledgeable and he suggested the half price on the EX310 made it a steal of a deal and suggested it was better sounding than the XBA2 and almost as good as the XBA3. So I decided $40 was a reasonable gamble.
Out of the box I was surprised by the nice quality of the carrying case and then the usual great selection of tips. Initially i was nonplused when I found it was a j-cord but do find it is less microphonic than my XBA3 cord and it drags on my neck less.
Slipping the IEM in I found them to be extremely comfortable.
The first couple of songs were a bit muddy but then the IEM started to loosen up and improve. Considering I had just been listening to the ultra clear airy UE900 prior to these, I was surprised that I found them enjoyable as quickly as I did. But NO they don't beat the $400 UE900 LOL
. Having said that, they are a brighter sounding signature with a looser stronger bass presence with slightly more recessed mids. I expect the bass may tighten up with some use (I will burn them in for a couple days and report back).Sonically they remind me alot of the MDR-7550 but with a bit less detail and size. But at 1/6 the price on sale and 1/4 the price at regular retail they are a heck of a bargain. The one thing they have on the EX1000/600/MDR7550 is slightly better isolation and less wind noise out doors.
These are not for the bass head crowd though as they are not as good in the sub-bass or as strong as other bass oriented IEM's. But if you want a mostly balanced sound these are very good.
Not sure if all Sony Canada stores have these on sale at $40 or not but if they do these are worth their retail price in my opinion, making them an excellent bargain at $40.
