[mer]

I agree with the above post...

For me there are also hardly any IEMs that you want to use unEQ'ed..... For example I always bass boost the N3 +6db 30hz and +3db 60hz , I really have to bass boost it , it becomes a different headphone, that's why you need a proper dap and not a phone, the 9mm lcp driver is a sleeping beauty. For me, it's absolutely necessary

Some people like like a very V (or L ) sound but in a soundstage way, not just recessed volume, I don't know how to describe this but think of it as the acoustics of the room where the mids gets attenuated and they become soft and they are never in your face and the kick drum sounds big and heavy... Think of it listening your ear close to a 2-way speaker and far from it and a bit higher so you get the tweeter a bit more than the mids..... many people want this sound including me.... This frequency response is what the N3 is for me but even more exagerated, if you look at my EQ you will see basically I am boosting the sony signature ( except 16khz-20khz where I am compensatiting for the roll off).

What you are describing is you also want a more V sound.... you talk like "bass is not enough-the mids are clear forward-the highs are too much". You do understand what you say you want an EVEN more V (or L ) sound ( like me! ). BUT there are people in this thread that sold because they though it is a very V sound ????

To be honest I can relate to some of the things you say ( not the 10khz spikes for sure... I don't have any of that ... ) for example I can relate to that the volume has to be very high to feel the bass... The A3 is already very special in bass... I think you are like me and you just need to boost the bass of the N3 and maybe -2db at 3.5khz and -2db at 9khz, and then you will feel it more "balanced" like a3/z5 and a bit darker ???

What I want to say basically is that we both seem to like this EQ shape : ``---..- that simulates wider room/speaker acoustics, we want bass and we don't want those 3.5khz-10khz in our face to hurt our ears ....before we can feel the bass But this is even more extreme ( sony ) sound and the audiophiles will go crazy if they see such a frequency response haha... the n3 is relatively flat ( a bit like a monitor earphone but some consider it already too V! ) but you can EQ to get that (more a3/z5?) sound you may like.

There is weird bleeding which happens 120-180hz to the upper mids, it feels like a bit the soundspace is badly reasonating ( congested?) at these frequencies and they bleed but thats hardly noticable...and very extreme. 120-180hz should sound more upper boomy but they dont...

The S7 is only the limits of preamping it -6db and +6db at 30hz and +3db at 60hz, go -2db at 3hz and 9hz and try like this maybe at 100% volume??? ( use poweramp, jetaudio or neutron ), but please try first with the soundblaster which has much better output. Please use high quality files, foobar with wasapi or ASIO output and not DS!

 

[beowulf]

I understand exactly what you mean by grainy=sometimes more air/apparent detai,like grainy vinyl, but the n3 is dark and smooth... which can sound amazing and more apparent detail but the n3 is not like that really. It's even darker than the shure846, with more subbass and less mids...

If it's even more rolled off and darker than the 846, then it's most likely not for me. I like the 846, but at the same time it's never fully satisfying because it lacks some treble detail. There's always a slight veil.

Now the upsidade of that signature is that it is not fatiguing (assuming the low end doesn't have much energy too) so it is great to listen many hours. The N3 could perhaps work for my listening at work, where I sometimes end up with the things in my ear for a whole day, removing them now and then. This is also something that I find annoying with the 846 for that use, they take too much work/time to properly put/remove. The N3's design might be much faster.

The EX1000 should be arriving soon. I'm going to wait for that and then see if it makes sense to complement them with a hybrid, especially one that isn't over-the-ear. No harm in giving the N3 a listen.

 

[mer]

If it's even more rolled off and darker than the 846, then it's most likely not for me. I like the 846, but at the same time it's never fully satisfying because it lacks some treble detail. There's always a slight veil.

Now the upsidade of that signature is that it is not fatiguing (assuming the low end doesn't have much energy too) so it is great to listen many hours. The N3 could perhaps work for my listening at work, where I sometimes end up with the things in my ear for a whole day, removing them now and then. This is also something that I find annoying with the 846 for that use, they take too much work/time to properly put/remove. The N3's design might be much faster.

The EX1000 should be arriving soon. I'm going to wait for that and then see if it makes sense to complement them with a hybrid, especially one that isn't over-the-ear. No harm in giving the N3 a listen.

Don't misunderstand me, the xba-n3 extension from 10k to 20k is miles ahead compared to the 846 ( or the ex1000 for that matter ) but that doesn't make it any brighter or more grainy. ADAM tweeter with a tin signature quality. If you can hear up to 20khz fine and you appreciate 13khz-20khz the N3 is magic for me, from 13khz to 20khz it sounds flat -10db roll off compared to the rest of the spectrum. Hi-Res ! Clean dark digital hi-res compared to airy/bright/analogue/grainy.... choose your weapon! I like both.... but I take the clean dark more often. I do use my sennheisers hd598 when I want brightness and air though but I prefer speakers and I definitely don't like bright IEMs. I think of IEMs as closed heaphones and open headphones as speakers... One is for club/car sound and the other is for acoustic/orchestral/classical/live stuff.Sometimes I like to mix it

N3 is insta-pop-in pop-out, extremely comfortable and I kind of hate IEM in-out... n3 is ok. The n3 is the most comfortable IEM at work and I've tried many of them and I work 8 hours at office for many years. Only something like the philips she3590(3 dollar iem ) is comfier but only because its so small and light, there is hardly anything inside there

 

[amrbadrawy]

Time for a return on a defective unit ? Are you getting any extremely hot treble issues with other head gear ?
These have the least fatiguing treble of IEMs I've heard in a long time.

What kind of defect is this? i mean when you contact the seller you can say one side is not working, the sound is cracking... etc. but does being painful considered a manufacturer defect :/ i don't think this is enough confessing reason to get a replacement, what do you think?

 

[mer]

Depends where you bought it and how long ago... amazon allows returns up to 30 days no questions asked.

 

[amrbadrawy]

Depends where you bought it and how long ago... amazon allows returns up to 30 days no questions asked.

But from your professional point of view, do you think that such a defect exist "like you buy two earphones of the same model and they sound different" because i don't want to replace it and end up with the same problem, i feel like it's my hearing and sonic taste not a defect in the unit, What do you think? "By the way taking about my hearing: whatever i do at the 32hz range i never hear any kind of change even with AMP on high gain and adding 10db to 32hz i hear no change, i think may be i'm deaf "

 

[Slaphead]

But from your professional point of view, do you think that such a defect exist "like you buy two earphones of the same model and they sound different" because i don't want to replace it and end up with the same problem, i feel like it's my hearing and sonic taste not a defect in the unit, What do you think? "By the way taking about my hearing: whatever i do at the 32hz range i never hear any kind of change even with AMP on high gain and adding 10db to 32hz i hear no change, i think may be i'm deaf "

Nah, It could be that the recordings you're listening to have very little going on around the 32Hz mark. I know from my time producing EDM that if what you're working on is likely to end up on vinyl, then rolling off under 40Hz is often considered a very good idea due to the limitations of vinyl. Given that vinyl is making a major comeback and more music is making it's way back onto that format it may well be that this is becoming standard practice again.

 

[Martin79]

Amrbadrawy these earphones is not for you. That's all.

 

[amrbadrawy]

Nah, It could be that the recordings you're listening to have very little going on around the 32Hz mark. I know from my time producing EDM that if what you're working on is likely to end up on vinyl, then rolling off under 40Hz is often considered a very good idea due to the limitations of vinyl. Given that vinyl is making a major comeback and more music is making it's way back onto that format it may well be that this is becoming standard practice again.

Aha, that's interesting, i didn't know that... But that means the more vinyl is back the less sonic range we will have with new records :/ But Do you have any track that you know that it has a sub bass at that exact low hz, i would like to try this out, i couldn't find any track even the bassiest track i own still nothing at that very low 30hz range

 

[Martin79]

I dont understand this suffering! OMG

 

[Wiz33]

What kind of defect is this? i mean when you contact the seller you can say one side is not working, the sound is cracking... etc. but does being painful considered a manufacturer defect :/ i don't think this is enough confessing reason to get a replacement, what do you think?

If we disregard the bass level, does the N3 give similar volume as the A3 at the same volume setting? Are you turning up the volume on the N3 just to get the same bass level? If so, I think you still have a seal problem. Does the bass level get better if you actively pushes the N3 deeper with your hand? While the N3 is easier to wear, it does not seat as deep at the A3. I've managed deeper insertion by using them upside down and looping the wire over the ear.

 

[amrbadrawy]

If we disregard the bass level, does the N3 give similar volume as the A3 at the same volume setting? Are you turning up the volume on the N3 just to get the same bass level? If so, I think you still have a seal problem. Does the bass level get better if you actively pushes the N3 deeper with your hand? While the N3 is easier to wear, it does not seat as deep at the A3. I've managed deeper insertion by using the upside down and looping the wire over the ear.

No N3 is quieter at the same level, and i need to raise the volume to reach the same bass level, i agree with you the A3 goes deeper because of the angulation between the housing and the cable i ordered the spinfit tips to try it out, may be i get a better insertion so i can give it a final try before returning it :/ you and mer have been so helpful thank you so much

 

[Wiz33]

No N3 is quieter at the same level, and i need to raise the volume to reach the same bass level, i agree with you the A3 goes deeper because of the angulation between the housing and the cable i ordered the spinfit tips to try it out, may be i get a better insertion so i can give it a final try before returning it :/ you and mer have been so helpful thank you so much

I know you have to raise the volume to get the same bass level on the N3 to that of the A3 but how about vocal? Are the vocal sound level closer between the N3 and A3 at the same volume setting?

 

[amrbadrawy]

I know you have to raise the volume to get the same bass level on the N3 to that of the A3 but how about vocal? Are the vocal sound level closer between the N3 and A3 at the same volume setting?

Yeah the vocals are almost the same loudness at the same volume but the bass is weaker on the same volume, the vocals sounds much better on N3, it's more warm and and more forward, i like the vocals on the N3 more than the A3

 

[Wiz33]

Yeah the vocals are almost the same loudness at the same volume but the bass is weaker on the same volume, the vocals sounds much better on N3, it's more warm and and more forward, i like the vocals on the N3 more than the A3

OK. Mystery solved. If your vocal loudness is similar at the same volume setting between the N3 and A3 but you're lacking bass on the N3. Then you definitely have a seal problem. This sound just like my N3 when I don't have a proper seal. I don't know what size tips you're using but it's not giving you a proper seal. I would try all the larger size tips that came with it (don't worry about comfort for now, we can solve that once we verified it's a seal problem) and I would also try wearing it upside down (try all different angle anyway), I find that I can insert deeper at some angles than other as it gets the round dynamic driver housing out of the way depending on your ear shape.