[kramer5150]

I have had these little cans for a couple weeks now and have been posting scattered comments on them. I think I have had them long enough to post some detailed impressions.

First of all, I wouldn't consider this an IEM. Does not isolate enough. It has a little isolation though... somewhere along the lines of an MDRV6 or K240s. So, its not TOTALLY isolating but does a good job of blocking some ambient noise.

I can't recommend it if isolation is your TOP priority. If however youre like me and do not want to be completely shut out of the ambient world then its a good choice. IMHO it blocks out just enough to hear the tunes. Thumbs up in my book.

SUPER comfey!!! BIG thumbs up!! I can't wear IEMs that exert too much pressure on my ear canals. So these fit the bill nicely. Comfort wise they are on par with the Sony EX51, but because they fit more snugly in the ears, they seem to stay planted better.

I also find many IEMs to translate too much "body microphonics" when used portably. I always found the "thump - thump - thump" annoying when I would walk with my e2c and EX51. These EX90s do not isolate enough for that problem to surface.

My only real physical complaint is the one-sided cord. I prefer a symmetric "Y" type cord, so for me this has taken some getting used to.... and at times I still find the cord tugging at the left ear too much. Speaking of cord, the 1/8 TRS plug is the standard super-tiny Sony 90 degree job found on the EX51 and others.

Ive had it for over 2 weeks now... Some 200+ hours, including ~60 hours of loud burn-in. Overal sound signature doesn't seem to have changed too much over time. Treble seems to have resided just a hair. Its not as bright and balances better with mids, but its not night and day.

Compared to KSC75:
Dry, balanced, detailed, fairly quick and snappy. Somewhat distant sounding at times. Doesn't have the ability to thrust forward vocals and instrument solos, or spatially separate sounds as well as the KSC75. Treble spaces itself out nicely in live recordings. Good, useable image and separation for a canalphone. IMage and separation fall short of the KSC75 though (as to be expected for a canalphone).

Bass:
Balanced and plentifull. Not bloated like the KSC75 or e2c. Dry and quick sounding. Decent detail resolution, but nothing to get terribly excited over. Balances nicely with the rest of the spectrum. Bass is bit... blaah... almost boring (IMHO) coming from super-colored Grado/KSC75 land.

Mids:
Dry, some might call it "accurate". Although somewhat lacking in excitement and a little distant sounding. Doesn't thrust vocals forward like a KSC75 or Grado. But at the same time, if you find Grados and KSC75's "shouty" and too aggressive in the upper mids, the EX90 is YOUR kind of sound. It also has some nice separation and distance too. Mids are CERTAINLY not as recessed as the EX51/71. Mids are just a little under-aggressive for my tastes.

Treble: Sparkles, detail, airy... GREAT!!! Similar to the KSC75, but more detailed and a hair less "sizzle". Many complain about the KSC75 treble being harsh and tends to sizzle. The EX90 has the same overall treble balance... Minus the sizzle. Very good treble image separation for a canalphone. VERY "out of head" sounding. Thumbs up on this one for its treble response.

The EX90 is very finicky to source and amplification. I tried it with a variety of amps and a couple different sources and found it dull and boring with my warmer more tame single OP amp circuits - PA2V2, LD Micro, govibe II (OPA2132). I also found it a bit cluttered unamped with my Creative Muvo. Straight out of the little MP3 player is unlistenable. Conjested, cluttered and grainy sounding.

Uping the Amp scale yields some STUNNING results. My more aggressive amps SING with these cans. Amps that make my Grados SHOUT and SCREAM work wonders for the midrange on the EX90. My best amp for the EX90 is my Pimeta (AD823). The VERY colored output and aggressive vocals Breathe new life into the EX90. The Buffered design adds bass thump for transient peaks, and useable sub-bass extension. Treble to my surprise remains smooth, and is in no way piercing, harsh or overbearing.

I have equally good results with my mints (6820). Although the mints seem to lack a bit of the treble detail of the pimeta. Still the mint is a much better EX90-amp than any of my single OP amp circuits, which sound cluttered by comparison. In fairness to the govibe, I was using an OPA2227 and OPA2132. Neither are known to be agressive sounding chips. Im fairly confident different results could be achieved with more aggressive chips.

I got the chance to try Filbutrs Pints with the EX90. My inpressions are nearly the same with the pints. The forward mids help to enhance the EX90 to "very enjoyable" status. Compared to the mint however the pint has added detail and clarity, Pint mids seemed warmest and yet had the most detail to my ears.

Up-ing the source scale also yields some very nice improvements. My (newly acquired) D335 is by far my most detailed, smoothest and spatious sounding portable source. As with the buffered amps, source upgrades really liven up the EX90 mids. Unlike my Creative MP3 player, the D335 has a VERY robust headphone output, and the EX90 sounded good plugged straight into it. It didn't have the dynamics and aggressive midrange of my best amps, but certainly fared better than my warmer single OP amp circuits with the EX90.

PHWEW!!! Did I leave anything out?.... I cant think of anything more to write. Here are some pics of the amps and sources I have been using, and some macro shots of the EX90.

hope some of you find this useful.

Happy Listening!
Garrett

From L-R:
PA2V2, LD Micro, Mint1 (R11 bypassed), Mint2, Pimeta
D335, Creative Muvo. (Not pictured: GoVibe, Rat Shack gold series TRS cable)

 

[joelongwood]

Very nice write-up, Garrett.........looks like I'll have to add another one to the list.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[warpdriver]

I just picked these up myself and am finding them enjoyable. I think they are definitely a worthy contender to the $100 class of earbuds. It's too bad they do give up a bit of isolation even compared to the the EX71 siblings, but sonically, they are a huge improvement over those, the bass has a much more balanced sound to them, and the treble is more refined, but still lively.

You've saved me a lot of writing because I agree with a lot of what you said. I was actually switching back and forth between my K701's, and they fared quite well.

 

[HeadKase]

Excellent review! I also agree with your impressions. The "slightly distant" sound is the thing that turned me off to them at first. Yes they could give music more presence, but for the price point, portability and all else considered, they fit the bill nicely.

The other thing I notice is that you have to futz with them to make them sound their best. They seem to be in the ear just fine, but a small turn that increases the seal can make them come more alive. Basically if they seem lifeless or weak in bass, give them a turn.

 

[fureshi]

great review garrett! i've already tried to make them more agreeable to my tastes. i first started with using tape to cover the ports on the back. it really closed down the soundstage and made everything come forward, almost grado like sound. it slightly increased isolation but not by much. not great results so i removed the tape. the next thing that i tried was replacing the stock tips with shure soft flex tips. i felt that these made the most difference as it really brought out the mids and put a sparkle to the highs. the shure tips also slightly increased the isolation.

at the moment, i'm really enjoying the new sonys. they're a better balanced set of canalphones compared to almost everything else on the market, imo. even the panasonic hje70 at the same price point doesn't come close. their bass is way too boomy in comparison and comfort isn't as good as the sony. to me, they have a great combination of sound and isolation for walking around in somewhat loud environments.

 

[Mr.Sneis]

Awesome write-up Kramer. I'm so infatuated with my ex90's right now I can't recommend them enough, completely balanced sound for a Sony and none of the harshness that I hate so much.

Funny your getting so much more amped, I can't even tell there's a difference coming from my Gilmore Lite + DPS.

 

[kramer5150]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr.Sneis Awesome write-up Kramer. I'm so infatuated with my ex90's right now I can't recommend them enough, completely balanced sound for a Sony and none of the harshness that I hate so much. Funny your getting so much more amped, I can't even tell there's a difference coming from my Gilmore Lite + DPS.

Yeah readers should understand that its VERY source - dependent. If your unamped source is capable, or colors the sound optimally for the EX90, then amp additions may be pointless.

IMHO the creative Muvo flash players dont sound that great and need outboard amplification, to sound their best. Although they certainly are useable unamped.

**edit*
Readers should also keep in mind my sonic preferences. Typically I like cans that have pretty foward/aggressive (colored) mids... RS1, HF1 and KSC75 for example. While accurate or spectrally flat cans don't capture my interest as much.

 

[sinner6]

Consider this a big +1


I have been using my EX90's as my general purpose daily phones. They have a flat (ie accurate) sounding response, and are not fatiguing at all even in terms of listenablility and comfort. These may not be the be all end all, but I'm very pleased with the combination of sound, portability, comfort, nice case and good looks that $99.00 got me. Only question is durability...wire borders between svelte and flimsy.

Anybody know where I can get more of the "medium" tips?

 

[kramer5150]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sinner6 Consider this a big +1 I have been using my EX90's as my general purpose daily phones. They have a flat (ie accurate) sounding response, and are not fatiguing at all even in terms of listenablility and comfort. These may not be the be all end all, but I'm very pleased with the combination of sound, portability, comfort, nice case and good looks that $99.00 got me. Only question is durability...wire borders between svelte and flimsy. Anybody know where I can get more of the "medium" tips?

I have some extra medium tips left over fomr my EX51. PM me with your snail mail address and I'll give them to you

Garrett

 

[noypi]

does this really outclass the Panasonic's HJE-70..??? my sister is eyeing the Panasonic and considering they're almost the same price, the EX90 really is worth considering as an option....

 

[fureshi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by noypi does this really outclass the Panasonic's HJE-70..??? my sister is eyeing the Panasonic and considering they're almost the same price, the EX90 really is worth considering as an option....

that's my opinion but of course it's based on my memory of the hje70. the hje70 sound like the typical canal phone with boomy bass that overpowers everything. i also remember them being uncomfortable and unstable. because of the earbud like design, the ex90 feel quite stable.

 

[noypi]

hmm... what a let down.. i ll just tell her to go for the EX-90 or maybe force her to get an IEM like the im716...

wahahhahah....!!!!

 

[ghopper]

sorry to bump an old thread, but i'm curious.

how does the ex90 compare to the cx300? I too like slightly colored cans, preferably the bump in the middle for the female vocals.

 

[greens601]

How do the cx300 compare to the EX90's?

 

[Veggie_Musician]

Better Id say but Ive not heard the CX300's... But I would rate clingfilm modded EX90s near a Shure e4c... which in turn is better than a CX300.

Compairing my UM2s to the sony - the sony is brighter with a much more forward treble (not sibliant). There is loads of bass from the EX90s but its not the same kind of bass as UM2s. The UM2s have a dry in your head sound - like you are pluged into the music or on stage... the modded ex90s have a simlar sound but more like 5 rows back. Everything is more airy... the Bass is more a low end "grunt" than the UM2's head shakingness!

As I write this a lot of people say this between e500s and UM2s - be intresting to try Ex90s against e500s