[Sp12er3]

I second that question, but in reverse. I'm enjoying the A3 so far, but still curious about how N3 performs, as I have the XBA100 which also uses brass housing, that and a full range dynamic driver would make an interesting change I imagine.
@Gelemx1986: isn't Z1R's cable uses Pentaconn's 4.4mm 5 pole now? Why dont you source Pentaconn cable for your Z5 as well? (of course if you already have an amp that output using and ie Sony and Sennheiser etc)
Wait... Isn't both the Z5 & Z7 already comes with that dual mono 3.5 TRS included?

 

[mer]

Hi all , I posted this question towards a member ( Wiz33) in the XBA-N3 thread but many people are wondering N3 VS A3.

"
Having skipped a3/z5, I saw a post which says they ( A3 and z5 ) sound better ( also said by a noticable margin than n3 ). Would you mind please going a bit in depth/detail there. I went straight to N3 and skipped all sony BA hybrids until now. I always felt the 16mm driver was something special in the xb90ex yet I am so satisfied with the new 9mm DD ( as far as the bass is concerned ) that I don't miss my xb90ex at all. I know the xb90ex is not represantative of the a3/z5 just because they use a 16mm driver but this was my only 16mm DD.

To be honest I was always dissatisfied with the 16mm highs.... the BA in the n3 sounds amazing and I have never heard such crystally highs from any of the single dynamic driver, it's just on another level for me, but I haven't heard the ex1000 which is supposed to have the best highs in the 16mm DD range ?

Anyways, I always thought that I would prefer the DD to drive the bass and mids and the BA tweeter the highs, the A3/z5 have the mids from a seperate BA driver, I really like speakers with two magnets (mid and tweeter), so it made sense what sony has done. For me N3 sounds like perfect marriage between mids and highs. It sounds like a speaker to me. How does the A3/Z5 mid sounds and compare to N3 ? How is the marriage of the bass+mids and mids+bass ? Do you believe the mids coming from A3 makes the a3 more picky with recordings ? The n3 mids is so forgiving and warm, and if it wasnt that warm and smooth it would s top being so musical and forgiving with sources/recordings. But then again maybe Im talking cr*p.

Would you consider buying the a3 ( I dont like the idea of z5 heavy amping and balanced ) as an upgrade to n3 considering my preferences above ? Im a basshead.

What about soundstage ? n3 vs a3

I understand the physical differences and the driving requirements are different, I am asking about sound specifically.

Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions, much appreciated !

 

[gerelmx1986]

I second that question, but in reverse. I'm enjoying the A3 so far, but still curious about how N3 performs, as I have the XBA100 which also uses brass housing, that and a full range dynamic driver would make an interesting change I imagine.
@Gelemx1986: isn't Z1R's cable uses Pentaconn's 4.4mm 5 pole now? Why dont you source Pentaconn cable for your Z5 as well? (of course if you already have an amp that output using and ie Sony and Sennheiser etc)
Wait... Isn't both the Z5 & Z7 already comes with that dual mono 3.5 TRS included?

Yup i saw sony has a Kimberkable 4.4mm upgrade, infact i have currently a 4.4mm to dual mono on the Z5

 

[nzouF]

Hi,
Is the nwz-a17 sony walkman enough to drive the a3 ?

 

[Sam L]

Hi,
Is the nwz-a17 sony walkman enough to drive the a3 ?

I would imagine so. The A3's are not particularly hard to drive.

 

[nzouF]

I currently have the a2 with the sony premium cable, powered by a a16 (japan).
On another hand, i tried the z5 and my dap doesn't hve enough power output to drive them properly so i wonder about the a3 and it's bigger drivers.

 

[Sp12er3]

A couple days ago I used the A3 outside, on a cafe and while riding bike, While sitting on the cafe, I noticed quite a few people does stares at me when I wear them, Well, I don't really blame them, "thumbstick in ears" they do look like, though IMO I still love how they look.
When riding my bike there were a ton of noise, but as usual by putting my hoodie on the wind noise is gone. It also has actually more than enough Isolation for outdoor use, I imagine I'd be more than fine wearing them for a commute on buses/ trains

 

[gerelmx1986]

A couple days ago I used the A3 outside, on a cafe and while riding bike, While sitting on the cafe, I noticed quite a few people does stares at me when I wear them, Well, I don't really blame them, "thumbstick in ears" they do look like, though IMO I still love how they look.
When riding my bike there were a ton of noise, but as usual by putting my hoodie on the wind noise is gone. It also has actually more than enough Isolation for outdoor use, I imagine I'd be more than fine wearing them for a commute on buses/ trains

when I had the a3 they had decent isolation, now with the Z5 I note these have less isolation than the A3 but sound good

 

[Sp12er3]

Now that's surprising, with the metal housing and all that...

 

[Ralphee]

Would you consider buying the a3 ( I dont like the idea of z5 heavy amping and balanced ) as an upgrade to n3 considering my preferences above ? Im a basshead.

The short version: be happy with the N3 and look no further.


The long version: I'm an avid fan of the XBA-A3, as they precisely suit my aural preferences. But since I own the XBA-N3AP, my A3’s do collect dust. Here are some reasons why:

01—bass: In my book, the A3 are superior in their overall presentation with a substantial and "musical" bass, but the N3 come very close despite having much smaller drivers. Quite amazingly, the N3 reach occasionally even lower than the A3, presenting a surprising deep sub-bass rumble. The bass of the N3 depends heavily on proper fitting, so I'd recommend to take some time to experiment with different eartips.


02—upper mids and trebles: This is where the N3 clearly excel over the A3. The twin BA drivers of the A3 are, to my ears, really well tuned, showing very little BA sharpness or sibilance. But listen to the N3 an you'll instantly sense the progress: they sound by far more refined and natural, due to their dynamic drivers and marginal BA involvement in the upper trebles. Both deliver equally fast and precise trebles.


03—soundstage: The A3 do have the wider soundstage both in width and depth. In comparison, the soundstage of the N3 is narrower, but because the instruments seem being placed "artificially" wide, out towards the edges (for lack of a better description), they still sound quite open. Yet, the A3 appear more natural and sophisticated.


04—comfort: The A3 wear very comfortable, but the procedure to „mount“ them requires some patience and time, while the N3 are plugged in in an instant, and off you go. The N3 stay stable in your ears, and cable wind noise and microphonics are very low, which makes the advantages of the A3’s over-ear cable design negigible. Another point to consider: after usage the N3 disappear much faster back in their carrying pouch while I always struggle finding the right place for the unwieldy A3 cables despite a much bigger pouch.


This all might sound quite unfavorable to the A3, but make no mistake: the differences are quite marginal in real life and I'm polarizing a little here. Each IEM has its distinctive character: the A3 sound darker and thus rather bass heavy, while the N3 emphasize on smoother trebles and thus a more clear and "neutral" sound. Considering their price-tag I think it's not worth buying both. You'll be perfectly happy with either one, as both are top-notch HiFi IEMs. I'm leaning towards the N3 for their superior all-around usability. (Wow, I'd never thought I would write that.)


Hope that helps in your decision.

 

[Sp12er3]

Other than the tuning on its transducer, i bet the brass housing also contribute quite a bit on that clearer, more neutral sound. I sure do love that qualities on my XBA 100. I do wonder how that exposed brass on the N3 would fare though, as the one on my XBA100 doesn't particularly age well.

 

[Hinomotocho]

The short version: be happy with the N3 and look no further.


The long version: I'm an avid fan of the XBA-A3, as they precisely suit my aural preferences. But since I own the XBA-N3AP, my A3’s do collect dust. Here are some reasons why:

01—bass: In my book, the A3 are superior in their overall presentation with a substantial and "musical" bass, but the N3 come very close despite having much smaller drivers. Quite amazingly, the N3 reach occasionally even lower than the A3, presenting a surprising deep sub-bass rumble. The bass of the N3 depends heavily on proper fitting, so I'd recommend to take some time to experiment with different eartips.


02—upper mids and trebles: This is where the N3 clearly excel over the A3. The twin BA drivers of the A3 are, to my ears, really well tuned, showing very little BA sharpness or sibilance. But listen to the N3 an you'll instantly sense the progress: they sound by far more refined and natural, due to their dynamic drivers and marginal BA involvement in the upper trebles. Both deliver equally fast and precise trebles.


03—soundstage: The A3 do have the wider soundstage both in width and depth. In comparison, the soundstage of the N3 is narrower, but because the instruments seem being placed "artificially" wide, out towards the edges (for lack of a better description), they still sound quite open. Yet, the A3 appear more natural and sophisticated.


04—comfort: The A3 wear very comfortable, but the procedure to „mount“ them requires some patience and time, while the N3 are plugged in in an instant, and off you go. The N3 stay stable in your ears, and cable wind noise and microphonics are very low, which makes the advantages of the A3’s over-ear cable design negigible. Another point to consider: after usage the N3 disappear much faster back in their carrying pouch while I always struggle finding the right place for the unwieldy A3 cables despite a much bigger pouch.


This all might sound quite unfavorable to the A3, but make no mistake: the differences are quite marginal in real life and I'm polarizing a little here. Each IEM has its distinctive character: the A3 sound darker and thus rather bass heavy, while the N3 emphasize on smoother trebles and thus a more clear and "neutral" sound. Considering their price-tag I think it's not worth buying both. You'll be perfectly happy with either one, as both are top-notch HiFi IEMs. I'm leaning towards the N3 for their superior all-around usability. (Wow, I'd never thought I would write that.)


Hope that helps in your decision.

I feel you summed them up very well - I tried the N3 and really liked them for the exact qualities you listed but chose to keep my A3

 

[gerelmx1986]

Other than the tuning on its transducer, i bet the brass housing also contribute quite a bit on that clearer, more neutral sound. I sure do love that qualities on my XBA 100. I do wonder how that exposed brass on the N3 would fare though, as the one on my XBA100 doesn't particularly age well.

xba 100 were single BA, thus the neutral sound, I had xba 1 and similar SQ, xba z5 versus a3 is tighter bass and less treble sparkle

 

[mer]

The short version: be happy with the N3 and look no further.


The long version: I'm an avid fan of the XBA-A3, as they precisely suit my aural preferences. But since I own the XBA-N3AP, my A3’s do collect dust. Here are some reasons why:

01—bass: In my book, the A3 are superior in their overall presentation with a substantial and "musical" bass, but the N3 come very close despite having much smaller drivers. Quite amazingly, the N3 reach occasionally even lower than the A3, presenting a surprising deep sub-bass rumble. The bass of the N3 depends heavily on proper fitting, so I'd recommend to take some time to experiment with different eartips.


02—upper mids and trebles: This is where the N3 clearly excel over the A3. The twin BA drivers of the A3 are, to my ears, really well tuned, showing very little BA sharpness or sibilance. But listen to the N3 an you'll instantly sense the progress: they sound by far more refined and natural, due to their dynamic drivers and marginal BA involvement in the upper trebles. Both deliver equally fast and precise trebles.


03—soundstage: The A3 do have the wider soundstage both in width and depth. In comparison, the soundstage of the N3 is narrower, but because the instruments seem being placed "artificially" wide, out towards the edges (for lack of a better description), they still sound quite open. Yet, the A3 appear more natural and sophisticated.


04—comfort: The A3 wear very comfortable, but the procedure to „mount“ them requires some patience and time, while the N3 are plugged in in an instant, and off you go. The N3 stay stable in your ears, and cable wind noise and microphonics are very low, which makes the advantages of the A3’s over-ear cable design negigible. Another point to consider: after usage the N3 disappear much faster back in their carrying pouch while I always struggle finding the right place for the unwieldy A3 cables despite a much bigger pouch.


This all might sound quite unfavorable to the A3, but make no mistake: the differences are quite marginal in real life and I'm polarizing a little here. Each IEM has its distinctive character: the A3 sound darker and thus rather bass heavy, while the N3 emphasize on smoother trebles and thus a more clear and "neutral" sound. Considering their price-tag I think it's not worth buying both. You'll be perfectly happy with either one, as both are top-notch HiFi IEMs. I'm leaning towards the N3 for their superior all-around usability. (Wow, I'd never thought I would write that.)


Hope that helps in your decision.

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions and go into detail. I really appreciate posts like this and people who can describe differences and communicate in that way, so thank you.

To be honest, I already made my mind up ( talking to other members ) to not buy the A3 ( or the Z5 for that matter ) but thanks for reassuring my decision and kind of agreeing with what other member have told me.

I am extremely happy with my XBA-N3 and Cayin N3. I feel it´s magic.

 

[se7en]

Just got this yesterday. While I love the sound out of the box I had a hard time finding the right positioning in my ear at first because of the oddly shaped housing. Glad I checked here and saw some examples. The cables that comes with it are ok I guess.