[nudd]

You can also try James' other mod which is to use a tiny strip of material to create a small gap between the nozzle and the tip. Search James' post on this thread.

 

[james444]

  Is there anything else that can be done to hep tighten the mid bass problem other then the tape mod which I have already done. I mean I love bass but this sounds like a subwoofer to me.

You can also try James' other mod which is to use a tiny strip of material to create a small gap between the nozzle and the tip. Search James' post on this thread.

 
It's a mod for the FX850, but works similarly for the H3. I mentioned it here:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/680119/sony-xba-h1-and-xba-h3-hybrid-dynamic-and-ba-iem/2640#post_10841015
 
Basically, follow the instructions below, just cut the stripes slightly thinner than shown in the pictures.
 

Spoiler: j444 front-mod:

Step 1: Find some surplus tips made of thin silicone, e.g. Sony hybrid tips:
 

 
Step 2: Cut off a small stripe, about 1x7mm:
 

 
Step 3: This is the tricky part. Place the stripe alongside the nozzle, so that it protrudes about 1mm at the front end. Hold it carefully in place with your fingertip as you mount the silicone tip.
 

 
Step 4: Check the result - it should look like this from the outside.
 

 
Step 5: Check the result - it should look like this on the inside. Make sure that the stripe protrudes only a tiny bit at the edge of the nozzle, or else it will diffuse the sound.
 

 
Congrats, you've successfully completed the FX850 "j444 mod"!

 
Edit #1: I thought it was obvious from the pics, but just for clarification: You need to cut the stripe off the cap, not the stem. The latter is too thick for this mod and will result in too much leakage.

 

[gerelmx1986]

Used a test tone generator that saves wav fils to your pC and did a test drive to my gear esp my sony walkman and this XBA-H3
 
Here are results
 
VAIO laptop 2014 Intel HD audio driver
 
MDR-1R reached to 10KHz XBA-H3 to 11KHz
 
Sony WALKMAN NWZ-A17 (Mexican (international) version)
 
DSEE HX OFF--> MDR-1R 10 KHZ, XBA-H3, 11KHZ
DSEE HX ON--> MDR-1R 17KHZ, XBA-H3 21KHZ
 
that is unamped what i was able to hear, definitively MDR-1R need amping from A17 i could hear to 19 KHz but was a very very faint piiiiiiiip.....
 
i'm 28 yrs old, have some sort of hearing loss in my right ear due to being blind in one eye (premature birth induced retianl detachment)

 

[acain]

Hi everyone I just bought the XBA-H1 for $35 I dont no much about them but for the price I couldnt turn them down. What can I expect from these or did I just waste $35.

 

[omastic]

Hi everyone I just bought the XBA-H1 for $35 I dont no much about them but for the price I couldnt turn them down. What can I expect from these or did I just waste $35.

At their usual retail price they are overpriced by a fair margin but at 35 they are not bad. You can expect good bass, fairly flat sounding mids and rolled off highs. A fairly average sounding iem IMO.

 

[acain]

Thanks they look kind of big also but if they sound better then the $35 I paid for them I will be happy.

 

[acain]

If anyone is looking for the XBA-H1 Secondipity.com has them for $54 right now there refurbished but carry full warranty.

 

[Paradigm]

Odd thing about these IEMS is another member here told me that the bass changes as it burns in. Nor he or I believed in the burn in phenomenon prior to owning theses. I want to believe it's psychological and not based on any scientific foundation, but I swear the sound signature changes on these with burn in. The bass is not as bloated or over powering as it was before. Yes the mid bass boost is still present but more tame, this was without the tape mod which initially I did use but felt it was no longer needed. Tape defiantly dampens the mid bass so for those wondering it's not a gimmick; the mod is the real deal and works well.
 
At the price I paid I simply can't complain they were a bargain. They are big and bulky for IEM's and produce a sound signature that mimics that of a full sized headphone. Silky smooth highs, with a slightly recessed mid or distance to it. the 16mm driver produces deep luscious bass that even my hd650's can't touch in the lower range. The bass that that H3 produce on bass heavy tracks is felt not just heard (NO BS) I would have liked to see better control of the bass as I have mentioned earlier it suffers from a little slow decay.
 
I would describe these IEMS as warm smooth sounding with a dark signature, wide sound stage and good instrument separation and detailed highs. Female vocals shine on these while male's take the back seat. They are very non fatiguing sound wise. Mid range is it's weakness. It's not bad, but not great either. I noticed that the Highs/tweeter and bass have greater presence over the mid.
 
Overall like any audio gear some types jive with you others don't. At the end of the day I have zero complaint's considering what I paid, but ultimately I find hese IEM's sound signature not to my taste. I feel like there is something missing in the balance of the equation here. Perhaps I have become to spoiled with $500 DAC/AMPS and $500-900 Headphones and I think I am being far to critical of these IEMS. I do like how forgiving the H3 are on poorly master albums, which I would attribute to the warm dark sound signature they have.  
 
As of right now I am debating on weather to keep them or sell them. Problem is if I sell them, I will have to start forking out around starting price $400 Canadian to get something better and if I want to come anywhere near the bass of the XBA-H3 using Balanced armature drivers were taking over $700. I have listened to the shure 846 and while I really enjoyed the overall sound signature and bass they produced (H3's bass is deeper, has more presence and overall stronger) the price tag turned me right off them. I refuse to pay $1000 USD( that is 1260.00 CND) for those IEM's, they are simply overpriced. I would however buy them in a heart beat at $650 tops. I think the shure 846's bass is more refined but then again it's 4x the cost of the H3's.

 

[acain]

There is definitely a change with dynamic drivers, but I have never heard change in BA's witch is more brain burn in if you ask me.

 

[Paradigm]

Some people think that amps notwithstanding being pretty linear do have a warmer or brighter natural sound signature.

The output impedance also affects this. Eg any amp with output impedence of more than around 4 or 5 ohms is going to make the H3 sound even more bassy assuming the H3 input impedance is the claimed 40 ohms.

If you are of the purely objectivist camp then you should be ok with any amp that measures flat, has a low output impedance and has sufficient power to drive the H3.

Unfortunately some mobile fone headphone output have relatively high output impedance. Eg my Samsung S3 was around 10ohms if I recall.

the initial version of the meridian explorer has output impedence of more than 40 ohms. The dragonfly 2 has i think greater than 10 ohms ouput imp so i would not think is the best choice all things being equal.

 


You are correct sir. I checked my Dedicated standalone amp spec and it's Output Impedance is rated at less than 1 ohm

 

[sardar17]

  There is definitely a change with dynamic drivers, but I have never heard change in BA's witch is more brain burn in if you ask me.

Both are brain burn in,if u ask me.Leave ur supposedly burned in set for 10-15 days and give a listening after that,,,u will notice they have gone on to sound like they did on 1st day.

 

[StanD]

 
Both are brain burn in,if u ask me.Leave ur supposedly burned in set for 10-15 days and give a listening after that,,,u will notice they have gone on to sound like they did on 1st day.

In this case I will not argue with a sadar. Celebrate at Hyderabad in November.

 

[sardar17]

  In this case I will not argue with a sadar. Celebrate at Hyderabad in November.

U better not.

On topic i found this out after leaving my gr07 for a month after listening to havi b3 and guess what??The sibilance returned like it was on day 1.

 

[StanD]

 
U better not.

On topic i found this out after leaving my gr07 for a month after listening to havi b3 and guess what??The sibilance returned like it was on day 1.

What's a b3 or was that a typo?

 

[sardar17]

  What's a b3 or was that a typo?

Nope,unfortunately its a reality man