[FoxFutura]

Having owned the ZX300 for over 6 months now, I'm still really enjoying it.

I've been using my Bang & Olufsen H8i with a 4.4mm cable, powered, with the Noise Canceling turned on. In passive mode the bass is too thin.

Can anyone recommend an alternative set of headphones for under £300 that will sound better? Or shall I stick with what I have?

Edit: Should have mentioned that I listen to Electronic and Classical, usually without vocal. Detail in the highs, depth in the bass.

 

[MrWalkman]

Having owned the ZX300 for over 6 months now, I'm still really enjoying it.

I've been using my Bang & Olufsen H8i with a 4.4mm cable, powered, with the Noise Canceling turned on. In passive mode the bass is too thin.

Can anyone recommend an alternative set of headphones for under £300 that will sound better? Or shall I stick with what I have?

I would recommend giving a try to the WM1A/Z firmware on the ZX300 first (nwmods.ml).

 

[FoxFutura]

Thanks Mr Walkman, I'm on your DMP-300 FE currently and love it. I've had issues changing the firmware due to the device being incorrectly handled through Parralels, so I've left it as it is

 

[MrWalkman]

Thanks Mr Walkman, I'm on your DMP-300 FE currently and love it. I've had issues changing the firmware due to the device being incorrectly handled through Parralels, so I've left it as it is

The improvement is bigger now with a completely different base firmware. Keep this in mind for whenever you feel ready to give it another try through Parralels.

 

[FoxFutura]

The improvement is bigger now with a completely different base firmware. Keep this in mind for whenever you feel ready to give it another try through Parralels.

Thanks for the encouragement and ongoing development of your firmware - I have to say, I can't imagine how much better it could be than the version I'm already running!

Will you ever do a video / podcast on the development and its history? I'd love to know more

 

[MrWalkman]

Thanks for the encouragement and ongoing development of your firmware - I have to say, I can't imagine how much better it could be than the version I'm already running!

Will you ever do a video / podcast on the development and its history? I'd love to know more

Well, with this firmware you can choose between 4 sound signatures, including the WM1Z one.

This same WM1A/Z based firmware is also available for the smaller A35/A45/A55 players, and the improvement is really big! I am listening right now to the A55 with the WM1Z signature, and I could certainly live with it if I wouldn't be able to keep my WM1A or something.

I talked a bit about the history in the Sony non-Android custom firmware thread, though I didn't add the text in the main post or something.

 

[Vamp898]

Unfortunately, discussions across head-fi tackle IEMs for both monitoring and "fun" listening. If stated earlier that your were talking about monitoring IEMs in particular, then I would have agreed. Anyways, I haven't encountered any TWS IEM solely intended for monitoring. Most of those existing in the market are intended for fun listening. If there's any for monitoring, I'd be glad to know.

I think it's an phrasing issue. I noticed that most people call every In-Ear an IEM, no matter if it can be used for monitoring or not.

IMHO if it's not an Monitor, it's not an IEM.

To my knowledge, no TWS IEM exists except you build them yourself

 

[Lookout57]

I think it's an phrasing issue. I noticed that most people call every In-Ear an IEM, no matter if it can be used for monitoring or not.

IMHO if it's not an Monitor, it's not an IEM.

To my knowledge, no TWS IEM exists except you build them yourself

From Wikipedia:

Ear-fitting headphones

Earphones​

"Earphone" redirects here. For other uses, see Earphone (disambiguation).


Earphones sit in the outer ear.
Earphones are very small headphones that are fitted directly in the outer ear, facing but not inserted in the ear canal. Earphones are portable and convenient, but many people consider them uncomfortable.[22] They provide hardly any acoustic isolation and leave room for ambient noise to seep in; users may turn up the volume dangerously high to compensate, at the risk of causing hearing loss.[22][23] On the other hand, they let the user be better aware of their surroundings. Since the early days of the transistor radio, earphones have commonly been bundled with personal music devices. They are sold at times with foam or rubber pads for comfort. (The use of the term earbuds, which has been around since at least 1984, did not hit its peak until after 2001, with the success of Apple's MP3 player.[24])

In-ear headphones​

Main article: In-ear monitor

In-ear monitors extend into the ear canal, providing isolation from outside noise.
In-ear headphones, also known as in-ear monitors (IEMs) or canalphones, are small headphones with similar portability to earbuds that are inserted in the ear canal itself. IEMs are higher-quality in-ear headphones and are used by audio engineers and musicians as well as audiophiles.

So if it sits in the ear it's an earphone, if it goes in the ear canal it's an IEM, IEH or canalphone. It's all a matter of semantics.

 

[Vamp898]

From Wikipedia:

​

So if it sits in the ear it's an earphone, if it goes in the ear canal it's an IEM, IEH or canalphone. It's all a matter of semantics.

IEM = In-Ear Monitor

If it's not an Monitor, it is not an IEM

Only Monitors are Monitors (it's hard to believe that this is actually debatable)

Quote from Japanese Wikipedia

In-Ear Monitor (IEM) is a type of earphone (in-ear headphone) that is used by musicians and audio engineers on stage to check acoustics, and by audiophiles to listen to music. In order to block out a high level of noise from the surrounding environment, they are, without exception, "canal-shaped" and are worn by inserting them into the outer ear.

In some cases, custom molds are made to fit the shape of each user's ear for a comfortable fit and sound insulation (custom IEMs).

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

IEM are canal type in-ear headphones, but not all canal type in-ear headphones are IEM

The biggest Earphone store eイヤホン lists them in separated categories.

Sony (the inventor of the In-Ear headphone) does that too.

Canal type In-Ear headphone
XBA-N1
XBA-N3
XBA-Z5
IER-Z1R

IEM
MDR-EX800st
IER-M7
IER-M9

Source: Sony.jp

 

[the Ortherion]

Guys, stop the off topic please.

 

[superuser1]

Thanks for the encouragement and ongoing development of your firmware - I have to say, I can't imagine how much better it could be than the version I'm already running!

Will you ever do a video / podcast on the development and its history? I'd love to know more

you should definitely try the new (@MrWalkman ) FW... you dont know what you are missing until you have tried it out

 

[FoxFutura]

Thanks for the advice. I guess I'll have to try a different approach.

Back to my question tho - any headphone recommendation to pair with the ZX300 for under £350 that would beat my B&O H8i?

 

[the Ortherion]

Thanks for the advice. I guess I'll have to try a different approach.

Back to my question tho - any headphone recommendation to pair with the ZX300 for under £350 that would beat my B&O H8i?

Despite not having it anymore i think the Akg q701 pair really well with it.

 

[imparanoic]

Thanks for the advice. I guess I'll have to try a different approach.

Back to my question tho - any headphone recommendation to pair with the ZX300 for under £350 that would beat my B&O H8i?

Surely Sony MDR-z7m2 would sound significantly better than your h8i, that's if you don't mind pure headphones with no noise cancellation.

But if you want wireless headphones, Sony wh-1000xm4 is best for wireless and noise cancellation, uses ldac which is 3 times bitrate than h8i SBC at 990kbs compare to h8i only 330kbs

 

[jb2unique]

Thank you @MrWalkman for Walkman One!

Everytime you drop a new firmware i find myself falling in love with my favourite albums all over again. This one is a lot more immersive than previous firmwares.