[gerelmx1986]

 

 
What i have read in the XBA-Z5 forum is that sony will not repair them, they will send sned you a new one (in this case perhaps an XBA-A3)

Update: I'm getting a full refund. Purchased June 2015, sent in a little over a week ago. Not too bad!

WOW full refund cool, and what you will purchase then? the Z5s i got are an improvement over the H3 and A3

 

[Ambroos]

 
WOW full refund cool, and what you will purchase then? the Z5s i got are an improvement over the H3 and A3

 
In Belgium you can only get the H3 and N3AP right now, the Z5 and A3 were never released here and seem to be very hard to import. I'll probably go for the brand new N3AP once I can find a good review.

 

[glennkresge]

I have the Sony H-3, they sound good! And sound better with a pocket amp. I just wonder how the cardas A-8 sounds in comparison to them?

 

[Sam L]

  Crazy question a bit but...anyone know of any CIEM that sounds like the XBA-H3?
 
I had put aside my H3 for a while because they're not the most comfortable for me. But coming back to them recently made me realize how much I love the sound. I've tested for extended periods some higher end stuff that costs multiple times as much as the XBA-H3 and none of these fancy K10s and SE846s and what not came anywhere near the sound of the XBA-H3 for me. But there's that weird fit issue... If I can jam the H3 in, they'll stay... maybe, but not always.
 
Some CIEM manufacturers make hybrid dynamic/balanced CIEMs, but that doesn't mean they'll sound anywhere near like an H3 if they're tuned differently. I don't mind purely balanced armatures and I'm not a fan of the driver count obsession. 
But I'd love to find a CIEM that sounds like an H3.
 
Any suggestions?

I'm sure you've tried everything to make them fit perfectly, but what I eventually settled with was shaping the memory wire with so much clearance that they dont even rest on my ears at all.  The H3's are light enough that if you are not moving around much, well fitting tips will keep them in place without the need to rely on the memory wire for stability.
 
I also ended up using double flange RHA silicone tips, which I do not use on any other earphones, but for some reason they work on the H3's

 

[Sam L]

.

 

[Sam L]

  Can anyone comment on how these do with electronic music? I'd like something with big bass and bright treble, and I especially value imaging and instrument separation, so I figured these being hybrid with the dedicated tweeter, they might be right for me. I'm more interested in abstract electronic music (stuff like Autechre, Plastikman, Burial) rather than EDM or hip-hop, and I don't really need them to be great with other kinds of music.
 
If anyone has any other recommendations for that kind of sound that would be great as well, thanks!

 
+1
 
I have yet to listen to a pair of earphones that rival the H3 in soundstage, both depth and width.  I've read that the z5 is even better in this area, which is mindblowing because the H3's imaging is fantastic.  I've been debating a z5 purchase for some time but for now I'm completely satisfied with the H3.

 

[BlinkST]

The JVC FXT-200LTD are superior to these except when it comes to bass. They have a very similar soundstage, but the JVCs edge-out the Sonys in width, and sound less grainy. 

 

[gerelmx1986]

 

^^^^^^
What the heck happened to them? They look like they were run over by something.

He smashed them with a hammer to have an excuse to get the Sony.

LOL did this but to my ZX100 walkman to get the new WM1A 

 

[taxidrivr]

how do the H1 or H3's compare with the Ety ER4SR/XR?

 

[nudd]

Etys are known as reference neutral earphones and the H3 is the opposite of neutral. Big bass, relatively u shaped sound signature. But signature Sony tuning. Musical, holographic imaging, engaging to listen to. It is my guilty pleasure.

 

[taxidrivr]

fwiw, my preferred over-ears are MDR-V6's which I love haven't found anything that reads similar in sound signature. 
 
are the xba-h1's worth it at $80? I listen to a lot of trip-hop, house, shoegaze so clean lows and wide sound stage. also considering klipsch x10/11/12

 

[taxidrivr]

how do the H1's compare to the MDR-7550?

 

[AudioThief]

Just got my XBA H3s in the mail today, same day as I bought Philips Fidelio X2s, so I've went
 
m50s>urbanite on ears>Fidelio x2 for non IEMs, and then the H3's are basically my first real IEMs as all my other have been like 70$ tops purchases.
 
First impressions for the H3s are wow, I honestly didn't think IEMs could sound this nice. I consider myself a bass head but I'm beginning to think I'm not, because I can definitely tell the bass issue people have been complaining about. I will use them for a decent amount of time and if burn in doesn't do anything, tape mod inc.

 

[ColdsnapBry]

Will the H3s stay put in my ear during workouts?

 

[Liono]

Will the H3s stay put in my ear during workouts?

I don't use mine for workouts or runs, rather a cheaper pair of bluetooth earphones. If you use the correct sized buds they will stay in in my experience with walking with them.