[nihontoman]

hmm, I don't have any problems with them being bass machines, as long as the rest is as good

 

[JohannLiebert]

Without hearing the h3 I can already say from the Graphs and exerpience with Sony:
Huge Bass, Sweet mids, spacious Soundstage, Mediocre Isolation and maybe windnoise

 

[Inks]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMTSJcI3srQ

Mmcx plug confirmed I think based on pics

 

[282432]

Sub'd

 

[zenpunk]

pre-ordered...

 

[Idsynchrono_24]

Against my better judgement, I'm gonna uh... Keep an eye on this thread :l

Spoiler

someone... Please... Just block my IP and end this madness :l

 

[f198]

  Impressions are coming in from Japan, I've been reading that these are being referred to as "Bass Machines"
 
Pics comparing the XBA-H3 with the MDR-EX1000 below:
 
http://akicy0765.blog.fc2.com/blog-entry-13.html

Somebody please do a translation of the review. (Google translation is poor)

 

[nihontoman]

I've read the Japanese review (google translated) amnd it seems it is NOT a bass heavy phone. it's just very deep and high quality bass, with high resolution sound. so yeah....

 

[stimer]

Oh guys, I don't want analytical dry iem, hope it's music iem)))

 

[Yggdrassilious]

I am pretty sure I will be buying all 3... Been regretting selling off EX600 and EX1000 but now is my chance to right the wrongs!

 

[Swimsonny]

  pre-ordered...

Let me know when you get them. i will be coming round your house with a bucket load of IEMs, loads of tips and a pair of tweezers

 

[kjk1281]

EDIT #8: The post finally went through. I win!


Translating this was a bit difficult as I wasn't used to some of the grammar and sentence structure he employed. I would have rather left out a comment or two (particularly one about the fit ), but I tried to stay as true to the source as possible.

[quote="Earphone].

(Translator's note: I believe he's referring to the XBA-H3 for the first part)

Isolation: between MDR-EX500 (on the low end) and UE900

Microphonics: virtually none

Sound: depends on source. When connected to the XPERIA Z, sound is V-shaped with bass emphasis. The iPhone 5 makes the sound more balanced and closer to neutral. Seems to be best with lower impedance sources.
Treble extension is good and soundstage is wide. The bass is slightly bloated when compared to the EX1000, but extension is far better, down to 30-50 Hz.

Miscellaneous: The housing is quite large and sticks out much more than the EX1000, so those who disliked the way the EX1000 fit would hate the H3's fit even more. Women may have trouble wearing it. The fit is reminiscent of the TF10.

Impressions:
The XBA-H3's isolation is improved compared to the EX1000, and the serration cord eliminates most cable noise.
When comparing to the EX1000, the XBA-H3's bass is deep and has good transparency in the high frequencies; the treble extends beautifully and displays a high level of acoustic polish.
Unlike many hybrids that lack cohesion between the dynamic and BA drivers, the H3's drivers are well-tuned and balanced.
If I were to make any improvements, I would prefer the vocals to be a touch more forward, and the bass to be slightly toned down.
This earphone presents a good middle ground between the EX1000 and TF10 as it would appeal to those who like both a thicker sound or a leaner one; the H3 has a sound that combines the EX1000's articulate bass with the thickness and transparency of the TF10.

[About the MMCX connector:]
The connector has a locking mechanism that should eliminate plug rotation, minimizing breakage. The downside is that recabling may prove difficult.

[About the housing:]
As stated earlier, one negative of the H3 is its large housing size. Also, the housing looks surprisingly cheap. The photos posted here illustrate the large size of the housing.

About the XBA-H2: the acoustic balance isn't good. It's like Sony took the graininess of the EX1000's treble and combined it with the lack of clarity of the XBA series. Then add in tons of bass.
The H2 has lower resolution than either the H1 or H3, and I'm hoping that they'll fix the 7kHz peak before the H2 is released. Not sure if source synergy will play a role like it did with the H3.
My impression of the H2 is almost as bad as the time I got to try out an early sample of the XBA-4.

The XBA-H1 has good transparency and has fixed the lack of treble extension of previous XBA models.
However, the treble still disappoints like the XBAs. [Translator's note: He doesn't really go into specifics here]
The bass is quite good. The H1 may be the best value out of the XBA-Hx range, and may be a choice for those who feel they want something more polite sounding than the H3.
[/quote]

 

[Niyologist]

I'm going for the XBA-H3. Let's see how it stacks up against the H-200. 

 

[nihontoman]

all of those three are interesting, but the XBA-H3 is the most interesting - coming from those impressions, it should be ideal for my tastes. it's weird though that the H2 is less refined compared to the H1...

 

[BillsonChang007]

all of those three are interesting, but the XBA-H3 is the most interesting - coming from those impressions, it should be ideal for my tastes. it's weird though that the H2 is less refined compared to the H1...

Agree! By judging at the impression, my mind is more drawn towards the XBA-H1 xD the more polite sound