[stimer]

  Yes we all get it man but you have said the same exact thing over twenty times in the last 3 days or so, this thread is literally you repeating the same phrase.

This man disappointed. I do not understand what guided managers when such prices are set.

 

[sardar17]

  I do not think that A161 has such a bouncy bass like H1 and 80$ is justified price. Such a pricing policy in sony there's nothing we can do

yes because its a single ba earphone and it does whats advertised,,,,,,,obviously u cannot compete with base of dynamic driver

 

[sardar17]

  Yes we all get it man but you have said the same exact thing over twenty times in the last 3 days or so, this thread is literally you repeating the same phrase.

i was advising a new user on h1
 
he asked if it was a good one and i explained no.
 
but i guess no one is interested in h1 as no one has posted any impressions or reviews of these so far.
 
2-3 guys are trying to sell these and h3's

 

[sardar17]

  This man disappointed. I do not understand what guided managers when such prices are set.

well i am really disappointed as i have spent substantial amount on these,,,just on hearing or reading some japanese impressions so i am trying to stop ppl from doing similar mistake

 

[Mizwa]

Yes I Called to Sony Netherlands, if I didn't like it if it was possible to return them and they said yes. The conversation has been recorded by Sony. To avoid problems I guess...

 

[Mizwa]

It's not possible at where you at? That's why I ordered a pair to see if they are better than eveything I have here. Maybe you should try to return it so one of Sony's stores, maybe they will if you want to switch a different pair of headphones, iem's? 

 

[sardar17]

  It's not possible at where you at? That's why I ordered a pair to see if they are better than eveything I have here. Maybe you should try to return it so one of Sony's stores, maybe they will if you want to switch a different pair of headphones, iem's? 

india dude
 
i guess its not possible here,,,but haven't even tried.
 
i will ask them,if yes i will take anything the offer at same price point,,,anything but these.
 
i wanted an upgrade but they turned out to be downgrade really

 

[BlinkST]

Plug them in and at least let them burn for like 100 more hours. I know some don't believe in burn-in, but headphones do change. My Jvc fz200 for example, changed for the better.

 

[getclikinagas]

This thread is getting horribly derailed. f198 made an excellent index of the H1 impressions in this thread (post #804 of 917). I've quoted the impressions here along with the impressions made after f128's index post. We have quite a few impressions of the H1 on this thread and they've been buried by the last 10 or so pages. 
 
@sardar17 : We understand and everybody here has heard your impression on the H1. But you don't have to scare off people who come to read everybodys impression. There may be a number of people who hate the M3 or the a151. It will always be subjective. What head-fi gives us (more importantly, what we should take away) is the general consensus about a product. I absolutely mean no offence at all. It just seemed like the thread was getting derailed a bit.
 
 
Everybody else, and new comers to the thread: Here are the impressions on the XBA-H1 made on this thread, so we may reset and re-establish a "general consensus"
(I've underlined the username above their respective impressions, in case anyone has any directed questions)
 
Credits go to f198 for making the index and all the people who contributed with their impressions. I apologize if I have missed any.
 
Evilking

It's taken a while to get over the Atrio MG7, the bass was truly out of this world. The XBA-H1 is cannot really be described as a bassy IEM when compared to the Atrios, far more balanced. The sound of the hybrid drivers is really something special, all the bass rumble that's missing from the usual array of single or dual BA IEMs, and the balanced signature and lack of obvious flaws that usually plague the cheaper dynamic IEMs. The bass here can be described as above average, only a few DBs higher than is strictly "audiophile", quality is quite good, tracks with multiple bass lines are not muddled or lacking. Dubstep sounds excellent, I always thought this kind of music would be better suited to the insanity-crisis level of sub-bass of the Atrios, but now I realise it was too much. Also, the bass doesn't intrude where it shouldn't, jazz piano and strings sound as they are supposed to, really surprised with this, I can't hear any bleed into the mid-range. Metal and hard rock is perfect, I can't stop listening.

It's tough to review the mids and highs, there simply isn't much to complain about. There are no sharp peaks, no recessed mids, no harshness. Instrument separation is very good overall, maybe some room for improvement in the highs. Detail retrieval is excellent, this definitely due to the BA driver, no muddiness or veil here. The dynamic driver is very well integrated, this isn't a BA+subwoofer deal (remember the super.Fi EB?), it's as if there is no crossover at all. Soundstage is pretty good, not overly broad, but intimate. Definitely a "front row" presentation.

I'm really, really impressed with the signature overall, I can't believe how far budget IEMs have come. I tried really hard in the past to love BA's, tried nearly all of them, the XBA-3 came close but still sounded unnatural and strained. The XBA-H1 sounds effortless, and correct. I'm already looking to pre-order the H2 and H3!
 
There is no doubt about it, the Atrios are only mildly bassier than the XBA-H1, not the earth shattering amount I had imagined (aural memory is quite poor). The XBA-H1s on the other hand are much more detailed than the Atrios, it's really quite substantial. I can't believe I listened to the Atrios for 6 months and didn't notice how much was pushed into the background. I think I subconsciously accepted the compromise for the price and level/quality of bass, which to be honest is still second to none (in fact I came back to the Atrios after selling back in 2011 because I couldn't find anything better). The H1 still rocks pretty hard in the bass department, it should be enough for bassheads, but I cannot say for sure, it depends on how much bass you want.

If you are choosing between the two, and one isn't heavily discounted for some reason, go with the XBA-H1.

This will be the end of the Atrio comparison, they are up for sale here. I cannot pretend that they have the same value after trashing them as above, so I have cut the price to less than half retail, only £60 delivered for two day old Atrios, in the UK they are normally £125.

I'm looking seriously at the H2 and H3, so I will update soon if/when they arrive.

 
Gavinfabl

Out of the box these are the best cans I've used. I've had Muse, The Louis Lester Band, Andrea Bocelli, some dance, classical tunes and whatever I can throw at them. And this is first 30 mins only.

I love the tone. Mid and treble is excellent. Bass is how I like. Punchy. Personally I wouldn't buy the more expensive version after hearing these. Using them straight out of my iPhone 5S. I also wouldn't bother amping these with the iPhone 5S.

I would describe these as musical too. Quite taken aback to be honest. More later.

The H1's create this image of having big loudspeakers and yet that are not that in reality. The sound stage is great.
….they are not perfect but who gives a damn when you feels so great listening to music with these.

 
Carfentanil

My impression after 2-3h is that there is plenty of quick-impact as well as presence to the bass, and there is [enough] reverb/decay to make the H1 feel musical... plus, it might tighten a little over time. I noticed that drums in particular hit quick and hit hard vs. other 'phones I've heard. I haven't got any pricey IEM's to compare with, though. The definitive impression I have is that it is musical AND balanced, somewhat favoring musicality over even-handedness.

 

Listening to that track on YouTube, my feeling is that the H1 is not quite as "! ! !" (immediate?) as you are asking, but for a dynamic gets quite close. Maybe Gavinfabl can make a comparison. Perhaps someone can evaluate the H1 next to the GR07 in the near future? 

 

H1 coming across VERY warm on Inception/Dark Knight Rises soundtracks (which are warm/lush already). It has musical, authoritative bass that doesn't crowd the spectrum, but when it's there, it's HUGE. My analysis: the laid-back ZX701 (same as ZX700) has me spoiled... The difference is less apparent with current pop music. The EX300 had big lows capable of rumble,  but in comparison was terribly veiled.
 
P.S. I'm not a Sony fanboy - it's just that they have largely been easy to obtain, and I've been eyeing hybrids for a while...
 
My impressions of the H1 don't add anything to what's already been said here: lush, musical, energetic, versatile, seductive, relatively detailed. Here are some other IEMs I was looking at. Would've been nice to compare hands-on. After almost a week, I've decided this one's a keeper.
 

Feuerspiel

I picked the H1's today and after an afternoon listening to them I would say compared to the xba-3's they have a much better soundstage ,better (slightly north of neutral but not by too much) bass and more natural highs, but don't have the detail or separation that the xba-3's have. Overall I would say they're a solid side-grade and well worth the money, but not necessarily a definite upgrade.
I finally decided to throw the tips I was using on my xba-3 (generic wide bore) onto the H1 and wow, I don't know why I didn't do this before. They've suddenly become a lot clearer and more open, I still wouldn't put them quite on the same technical level as the xba-3's, they lack that last little bit of separation and imaging that makes the xba-3's special, it's a lot closer than I initially gave them credit for. Combining this new revelation with the improved bass, treble and soundstage makes the H1's a definite replacement for the xba-3's in my daily use.
 
I'll have to go buy another set of tips tomorrow so I can do some better comparisons between the two, but I would recommend the H1 owners in the thread to try out some wide bore tips on them if they haven't already =).
 

Arteartearte
 

I have had these for 3 days now and I'm impressed.
I bought them from the online Sony.it store and they got here from Belgium in a day and a half.
I have never had sub20€ headphones and I have previously owned the Brainwavz M3 and Sunrise Xcape IE.
The brainwavz broke long ago but i remember them being decent for the cost, the xcape broke a few weeks ago after months of not working properly =(
So here goes my opinion but please bear in mind that I'm horribly illiterate as far as audio quality is concerned.
They sound really ******* good, the bass especially, it's detailed, tight and fast. It really makes the other two iems I have had pale in comparison.
The one thing I really miss about the Xcape is the soundstage. I wouldn't say that the h1 have poor soundstage, it's just not nowhere as good as it was in the Xcape.
 

Dweaver

 
Had a quick walk and listen with my H1 using stock tips and then some wide mouth tips. Stock = dark/warm sound that is very luscious and smooth. Wide mouth tips the treble and upper mids open up. Both tips have a wonderfully open sound with a very nice sound stage and instrument placement. Isolation is better than the EX/MDR series and wind noise is less while the microphonics are less than the XBA series. BTW I am comfortably wearing these over ear which reduced the bit of cable rubbing noise I was getting wearing them hanging down.

My initial impressions are that these will be definite keepers. I have been using my Bose QC20 almost exclusively since I bought them because of their excellent comfort and isolation (close to zero microphonics plus ambient noise), even my UE900 have been languishing in their case. This sound is vibrant enough and the lack of microphonics and wind noise good enough these may become my new daily IEM. I need to see how they work on the train and walking around downtown before I will commit to this completely but my initial listen has been very positive!
oK sitting Walmart as I type this using the H1. Isolation is not as good as my QC20 but it is good enough to block out most noise. I do think my QC20 will still end up being my transit IEM of choice.

I would say these have great bass that is on the softer (not boomier) side as compared to the punchier harder bass of the XBA3. The mids are a nice blend between the XBA and the EX/MDR series and the treble is not as metallic as the XBA3 and nicely in between the MDR7550 and the EX1000 in regards to brightness. I am noticing a bit of grain though somewhere in the upper mids/lower treble. I also a hearing static on my Nokia 920 which is not something I have an issue with. I am listening to a bunch of old classical pieces that may actually be poorly recorded so some of the static might be from them I will post results on this going forward.

btw I also recieved a pair of MA900's today for about the same price as these. For those wondering about whether a full size open headphone is worth getting over an IEM. The MA900 is excellent entry into full size headphones. I own several full size cans and the MA900 competes very well with what I own while offering a nice warm alternative to my other headphones
Eric the M200 is more linear and neutral than the H1. I no longer have the M200 on hand so can't say which is more detailed but I think the M200 was a bit smoother. The H1 on the other hand has a warm lush sound to it that is very enjoyable and I like the sound stage and instrument placement.

the H1 wins hands down for comfort and isolation.
I have several new headphones on hand plus the H1 and I do think it's a bit bass heavy but in a way that is quite enjoyable. Comparing it to the AKG K545 the extra bass and warmth is enjoyable as is the whole signature. The K545 is a much more balanced sound which is better most of the times but the H1 is just a warm treat. The cool thing is that the BA handles the treble really well so you don't loose out on the high end even though it's warm and lush.
d marc0, listening to AC/DC today and Led Zeppelin and I found the bass was OK for both bands. There was a couple songs where is bordered on being to much but it seemed fast enough. The warmth of the headphones signature might be an acquired taste though. Personally I found  the warmth helped take the edge off some of AC/DC's tunes and made some of the Zeppelin tunes sound more immersive but I had other tracks that had the opposite effect. 
 
OK I went through all the tracks listed above and liked my H1 on some tracks and not on others. When I liked them it was because the warmth of the H1 added to the listening experience and when I didn't it was due to the opposite effect or because the treble sounded a bit to harsh or metallic.

I did try switching to another headphone on these tracks and will add that the H1 is not a detail oriented IEM.

 
Kevms89

Ok some very quick impressions after some casual listening and comparing tracks to my xba3.

In short I am hard pressed to tell the differences between them, they are extremely similar, at times I feel like the H1 may have a richer/fuller sound but then I feel like the xba3 might be a little more clear, then I think they sound the same.

Its gonna take a veteran to really point out the subtle differences between them, Im gonna keep listening to them tonight and tomorrow and then go back to the xba3 and see.

So how are they? Great! They have nice clear bass, the highs are nice, the detail is very good and separation is good as well, the soundstage is good, maybe better a tiny bit than the 3? One thing for sure is that these things go LOUD! I can listen to my 3's max right now, the H1's? Hell no, they are LOUD lol

If you have the xba3 or 4 I dunno if this is an upgrade, if you have a cheaper iem these will be an upgrade, one thing to note is that the xba3 debuted at $300, these are $150, that says a lot.

Someone asked about the re400, its similar to what I have to say about the xba3 vs re400, the H1 has punchier bass, better clarity, better soundstage slightly, about the only thing the re400 beats either are in detail and thats slightly.

As for build/comfort/isolation/looks:

They look great! The red/black is neat, they are a bit beefy, thicker than the xba3, seems like they are about the same as the xba4.

As for comfort they are ok, they fit great and snug for me but keep in mind so do the xba3 which some had trouble with so take this with a grain of salt, I think the 3 is more comfortable to me as of now but lets see.

Isolation is great just as my xba3, about the same I say.

As for build they are plastic but feel very well made and strong, the cable is serrated and im sure will hold up, the jack is the same as the. 3 which is a good thing.

So if you have the xba3 or 4 is it worth the upgrade? As of now, no; perhaps with more time my opinion will change but they sound very very similar.

Re400? I like the sound signature of the sonys better but thats preference but build quality is no question, if build is important to you the sony is where its at.

Coming from a $60-$100 iem? Chances are yes! Just as the xba3 they are fantastic iems which are very well rounded, great for all types of music and enough bass for most people. So worth $150? Yes, no question.

Will I keep them or stay with my xba3? I will put a bit of time into these and see how it goes then decide.

Hope this helps, not the most technical as I am a bit of a newb to the headphone world but I tried my best. Any questions hit me up.
Wow the bass on these are really noticeable, not as in super boomy but with my xba3 I hear the bass and its just blended in with the music, with the H1 its like I am noticing the bass on every song and its very prominent, not a bad thing but its interesting.
Mackem
Initial impressions of the XBA-H1 compared to my Carbo Basso in layman's terms.
 
Sound
Well, as probably expected, they are better to my ears in every department. The bass isn't that much different quantity-wise, but it seems much better quality bass. Again, this will probably get better as they burn in but so far so good.
 
Sorry that I can't really express things in technical terms as I'm simply not as audio savvy as some on this forum, but one thing I do know is they are an improvement over what I had before and they definitely sound awesome to me. 
 
Any recommendations / links to some tips I can try out that work well?
 
the bass is more pronounced on the H1 for me(compared to XBA3), its like I notice the bass on every song I play!

The soundstage I agree on as well, its so cool and immersive.

By dark, what does that mean? I think the xba sounds a bit more clear to me which is very important to me.
 

Sardar17
 

i had meelectronics a151 before and they massacre h1 in terms of details,instrument seperation and vocals!!
yes h1 have very good warmth and soundstage though
I wasted money on xba h1 and they can't even compete with offerings half the price and sound muddier than shure s4 and even shure 215 are way better and balanced
yes I am with u on indivisual choice but the problems are more.
1-warranty on sony earphone is questionable
2-the earphone sounds muddier than a dynamic driver so whats the ba driver doing there?
3-i have got sony mh 1c and they kick h1 in arse
4-me a151 cost only 30 dollars so no comparison can be done
5-time will tell but let me tell u this,these buds are gonna die an early dfth as they are lacking in all departments as if the ba is not even working
 I would advice to go to a store and try these before buying as they seem to be way overpriced-the specs are good on paper but h1 sounded like a bloated iem actually
while i agree tastes are diff but the point of any such high value iem is clarity,,,,without it there is really no point in having a hybrid iem with a dedicated ba driver,,,i should have just bought something from mdr series instead.
in some time when more reviews on h1 come u will agree with my point that they are way too pricey for what they offer and my only mission is to tell more potential buyers to be careful and try these before buying them and not be tricked by the balanced armature part of this iem as they have very less clarity
but i will be frank here,,,i never had an experience with any mdr models except for the bundled with player,,,maybe was mdr x90 or something.
but i was mainly after this as it was supposed to be balanced due to hybrid nature but on the contrary its not,,,and in my opinion sony will slash the prices pretty soon or bring out the models like h10,h20,h30 like it did with original xba series.
 

 

[pietcux]

Thank you!

 

[d marc0]

Finally! We are back on track. Thank you mate!

 

[dweaver]

Excellent summarization of all the actual impressions.

for the person asking if they made a good purchase that listed past headphones of the XB series and the Monster Turbines.

I think you will enjoy your H1's as they will add more mids and treble compared to your XB headphones and a larger sound stage and more immersion as compared to the Turbines.

In any case please post your impressions when you get them.

 

[kevms89]

Ok so I went back to my xba3 for a few days, now back to the H1, these are actually very good, when you get a good seal the soundstage is awesome, the bass nice and punchy but clear, it has very good detail, sure they are a little warm but after a while you get used to it and you realize that these phones are doing everything very well, nothing is really disturbing anything, also they go LOUD.

One thing people have to realize is that the xba3 debut at $300, these are $150, they are a steal at this price.

 

[d marc0]

Ok so I went back to my xba3 for a few days, now back to the H1, these are actually very good, when you get a good seal the soundstage is awesome, the bass nice and punchy but clear, it has very good detail, sure they are a little warm but after a while you get used to it and you realize that these phones are doing everything very well, nothing is really disturbing anything, also they go LOUD.

One thing people have to realize is that the xba3 debut at $300, these are $150, they are a steal at this price.

Thanks mate. So they are a sidegrade to the xba3... Awesome!

 

[kevms89]

Thanks mate. So they are a sidegrade to the xba3... Awesome!

yea in a way I would say so, the xba3 might be better for vocals but going back to the xba3 you notice the difference in the soundstage, the H1 really envelops you and you just feel the music!

When you start getting into these higher end iems it starts to really be about preference than quality imo