[InnovatedMind]

4 Years of EVERYDAY USE and BEATINGS.... and this Gem of an IEM is still sounding B-E-A-UTIFUL.

 

[Sp12er3]

how fares your original cable?

 

[InnovatedMind]

how fares your original cable?

Had to replace the original cable a year into it. I replaced it with the second cable they supplied and it's been good... recently the left ear loop/clip started to break in two.

3 Years on a stock cable is pretty darn good! I think it's time for some TLC and give these babies an upgrade, in the cable department.

 

[Sp12er3]

I'm gonna go with my stock one until it breaks, then I'm gonna probably gor for the upgrade 4.4 balanced, either Kimber or the normal sony one.

 

[InnovatedMind]

I'm gonna go with my stock one until it breaks, then I'm gonna probably gor for the upgrade 4.4 balanced, either Kimber or the normal sony one.

Wow that Kimber is a beautiful cable... I may have to get me one too.

Great plan btw!

 

[Sam L]

4 years for me as well, but not with regular listening. they fell out of conscienceness after exploring tws earphones.

Since staying home due to the coronavirus, I haven't touched my tws earphones at all. IEMs and a couple over ears (k371, h6, m565c) have dominated my listening exclusively.

I forgot how awesome the A3's are! Question for those of you who still have a pair - - how do the A3's stack up to all the $100 - $200 chifi IEMs?

 

[Sp12er3]

Chifi has no tuning thats similar to the A3, at all. Most of them target at Harman and that have very little similarities to Sony's house sound. the A3, N3 and Z5 is unique in that regard, if you want that type of tuning and path to upgrade into, there's only the IER Z1R and nothing else.

Most of the Chifi I hae tried are a bunch of KZs Kineras, TFZs and Tins, on technicalities none of them have the wide soundstage the A3 has, they're simply top of the class on width, on depth there's some that surpass it. Clarity and Cleanliness they're all reaching pretty good point, but so far from what i've tried nothing stands out in that one around $100. separation and instrument placement are also pretty so so.
etc etc.

So, if you are asking whether there's an chifi IEM that can completely replace what the A3 does, i dont think they exist, simply because nobody's really trying to copy Sony's tuning. they're just too different than what's "normal". Sony did good in building up their house sound all those years ago as a unique selling point.

What IMO changed with Chi fi the most IMO is that with them around, the bar in sound quality in entry level is getting so high, there's so much sound you can get from a $4 VE monk+ earbuds or from a $12 KZ ZSN Pro, the perf/$ chifi have for under $100 is so good that what we got back from, in example, 2015 (IM50, SE215, XBA100, etc) can not compete at all with them.

 

[Sp12er3]

what's the consensus between the quality of these two cable? which one best suits the Z5 if I want to go better than the stock one?

sony muc m12nb1 & sony muc m12sb1

how does comfort change from stock also BTW? as I quite like the stock ear guide, I find it harder to fit the IEM for good seal without it.

 

[HaBo]

These or EX800ST ?

 

[HerrXRDS]

Chifi has no tuning thats similar to the A3, at all. Most of them target at Harman and that have very little similarities to Sony's house sound. the A3, N3 and Z5 is unique in that regard, if you want that type of tuning and path to upgrade into, there's only the IER Z1R and nothing else.

Most of the Chifi I hae tried are a bunch of KZs Kineras, TFZs and Tins, on technicalities none of them have the wide soundstage the A3 has, they're simply top of the class on width, on depth there's some that surpass it. Clarity and Cleanliness they're all reaching pretty good point, but so far from what i've tried nothing stands out in that one around $100. separation and instrument placement are also pretty so so.
etc etc.

So, if you are asking whether there's an chifi IEM that can completely replace what the A3 does, i dont think they exist, simply because nobody's really trying to copy Sony's tuning. they're just too different than what's "normal". Sony did good in building up their house sound all those years ago as a unique selling point.

What IMO changed with Chi fi the most IMO is that with them around, the bar in sound quality in entry level is getting so high, there's so much sound you can get from a $4 VE monk+ earbuds or from a $12 KZ ZSN Pro, the perf/$ chifi have for under $100 is so good that what we got back from, in example, 2015 (IM50, SE215, XBA100, etc) can not compete at all with them.

There are a few that have similar sound signatures. For example ISN N40 is pretty close to N3. Problem is nothing I've tried in that price range managed to get even close to the build quality, form factor and sound of N3. I don't know why I keep spending thousands on chi fi when i could've got another N3 and be much more satisfied.

 

[Sam L]

There are a few that have similar sound signatures. For example ISN N40 is pretty close to N3. Problem is nothing I've tried in that price range managed to get even close to the build quality, form factor and sound of N3. I don't know why I keep spending thousands on chi fi when i could've got another N3 and be much more satisfied.

Even aside from the sound profile, the sound stage was unparalleled on my a3 as compared to pretty much anything else in the price bracket. My set was stolen but I'll likely hunt down a z5 eventually.

 

[Sp12er3]

That's unfortunate, but funny you said that, my house was broken into once, Laptop, Phone, etc was stolen, but not my A3 sitting on a table.
there's sign of someone opening the case, checked whats inside, but then they left it alone.

I guess my thief is less of an audiophile than yours,

 

[Sam L]

That's unfortunate, but funny you said that, my house was broken into once, Laptop, Phone, etc was stolen, but not my A3 sitting on a table.
there's sign of someone opening the case, checked whats inside, but then they left it alone.

I guess my thief is less of an audiophile than yours,

Sadly, my thief went for my laptop in my backpack but it had around 9 iems and 4 tws earphones.

 

[James Shoegazer]

 

[beautiophile]

I bought my A3 used in 2016 by paying about $150, when it was considered an underrated IEM. It looks like overpriced nowadays.