[beowulf]

because MDR-Z1R is a full sized headphone LOLs

 
You can still try tho. And they sound really good

 

[monsieurfromag3]

  i have a good chance to (p)review MDR-Z1R, NW-WM1A, NW-A30, and of course XBA-N1AP and XBA-N3AP on Sony Exclusive Review this weekend.
Hope that i can compare them to my wide range collections of IEMs and DAPs.

 
Ooh I'd like to read that. Plus you have an interesting selection to compare them against judging from your signature.
 
I almost ordered the N3AP for 220€ last week-end, as I'm in the market for nice IEMs to go with my shiny new Pioneer XDP-100R. I tried the Nuforce HEM8; they sounded great, amazing even, from a PHA-1 DAC/amp, which rounded them out a little like Sony sources mostly do, but the BA bite was more like a slap in the cheek with the Pioneer DAP. Since I mainly listen to extreme metal that's like two slaps in the cheek! So I'm looking for something softer, yet detailed. The N3AP, if its lows are tight enough, could be right up my alley and also work well with more bass-heavy music, or ambient, or dark folk, or the odd classical piece.
 
The price range is not the same, sure, but I recently had the chance to audition the MDR-Z7 next to the MDR-1A, and while the former's qualities stand undisputed I found the latter more engaging - so much so that I bought it for the PC, where it's a perfect match with the PHA-1 for 320 kbps Spotify streams and gaming.
 
On another note I don't suppose anyone has thoughts on how the XBA-N3AP compares to the Audiofly AF180? Again, not the same price range, but I've read good things about the AF180 and it's supposed to be detailed yet super laid-back, which would suit me pretty well.
 
Also: first post from a long-time forum lurker, hi everyone!

 

[Ralphee]

I almost ordered the N3AP for 220€ last week-end, as I'm in the market for nice IEMs to go with my shiny new Pioneer XDP-100R.

Also: first post from a long-time forum lurker, hi everyone!

Well, a warm welcome to the forum! Mind sharing where the N3 can be bought for 220€?

 

[monsieurfromag3]

Thanks Ralphee 

 
I can see how the omission would be frustrating, actually I didn't link it because the offer isn't valid anymore. It's on a French store called Cobrason (that's a link to the product page, they're a serious bunch) where they still retail for 250€. So pretty good still, but I'm afraid they only deliver to France and Belgium.
 
Negotiating is encouraged, so maybe you can arrange for an international delivery/a price match to what they offered last week-end.
Best of luck if you try that out!

 

[JKT48]

my impression about N3AP comparing to FLC 8s w/ red-clear-gold/black filters

8s has clearer sound, better sub bass, less boomy than N3AP.

mids are less transparent on N3AP but have natural sound comparing to 8s. also it's thicker than 8s by little margin

i love treble sounds of gold filter on flc 8s, something that N3AP, or even Z5 can't reach.

N1AP and N3AP is an example of good effort from sony competing with other manufacturers hybrid IEMs, but still need refined

 

[JustJoseph]

Got these for about a week and here are further impressions
 
They are dark sounding. Treble is rolled off yet detailed, very smooth and soft, definitely not peaky or harsh in any way. There are lots of lows which can be clearly heard. For example Lorde - Royals, the extremely low bass guitar can be heard clearly.  Overall, this sounds dark compared to previous sony hybrids/ twfk hybrids. Its for bassheads who don't like bright v shaped signature and those who don't like fautigue/harshness. But i feel that for some songs (eg Tiesto - Driving to Heaven (Mat Zo remix), brightness is good, these aren't crispy enough to convey the detail of those songs. Because of this dark sound, these can sound a little muffled at times compared to twfk hybrids. But the good thing is that they sound so much more natural (esp vocals) due to the dynamic driver doing the mids. 
 
Because same DD is used for lows/mids, the lows and mids seperation is not as good as typical hybrids which use DD for lows and BA for mids. You can hear that they come from the same driver, this is not the fault of the iem but rather a innate characteristic of dynamic earphones. Meanwhile, you can hear that the treble sounds different from the rest of the spectrum (lows + highs). Its shimmery unlike the natural tone of the lows and vocals. Compared to this, twfk hybrids have the mids and highs sharing the same characteristic metallic sound. 
 
If you're searching for a hybrid, you will want to get
Dunu 2000j for clarity, detail,speed, fast textured bass and brightness
Ibasso IT03 for the above, but with much less peaky highs
FLC 8 for transparency, liquid mids and tuning options
Sony XBA N series for huge bass, natural dynamic mids and no brighness

 

[OlivierP]

Hi everyone - long time reader, first post!
My XBA-4ip just died. Well, there is a connection issue near the jack plug and the left one hase gone mute.
How do the XBA-N3 and XBA-N1 compare? I really liked the sharp sound of the 4-driver full BA goodness of the XBA-4. And I also really appreciated the in-line volume control - does a version of the N1/N3 cable exist with the functionality?
 
thanks everyone!
Olivier
 
PS: alternatively, did any of you ever got XBA-4 or similar successfully rewired? I'm in London... cheers!

 

[JKT48]

Hi everyone - long time reader, first post!
My XBA-4ip just died. Well, there is a connection issue near the jack plug and the left one hase gone mute.
How do the XBA-N3 and XBA-N1 compare? I really liked the sharp sound of the 4-driver full BA goodness of the XBA-4. And I also really appreciated the in-line volume control - does a version of the N1/N3 cable exist with the functionality?

thanks everyone!
Olivier

PS: alternatively, did any of you ever got XBA-4 or similar successfully rewired? I'm in London... cheers!

xba-n1/n3 didn't have inline volume, but you can find spare mmcx cable with inline volume.

maybe you can cantact earphone modder/repairer near you, or contact LEAR, since LEAR or probably other IEM company can reshell XBA4 for better fit

 

[MetalDaryl]

JustJoseph
Hi
I'm thinking of getting the xba n1ap
Apparently the bass and mids are really good but the highs aren't that great
How does the treble compare with other average in ear headphones. Previously owned the Mdr ex 650. I just hope that the highs are at least as good as on the Mdr ex 650(which I got for $100/£60)

 

[JustJoseph]

JustJoseph
Hi
I'm thinking of getting the xba n1ap
Apparently the bass and mids are really good but the highs aren't that great
How does the treble compare with other average in ear headphones. Previously owned the Mdr ex 650. I just hope that the highs are at least as good as on the Mdr ex 650(which I got for $100/£60)

Hi!
Xba N1ap focuses more on the mids and lows, so the highs are lesser comparedto them. It depends on what you mean by "good highs". If you like extended, sparkly highs, you won'tlike these. If you like rolled off, ssmooth and non ffatiguing highs, yyou'llllikethese. I hhaven't heard ex600 BTW. Hope that helps

 

[MetalDaryl]

Hi!
Xba N1ap focuses more on the mids and lows, so the highs are lesser comparedto them. It depends on what you mean by "good highs". If you like extended, sparkly highs, you won'tlike these. If you like rolled off, ssmooth and non ffatiguing highs, yyou'llllikethese. I hhaven't heard ex600 BTW. Hope that helps

Hi
Thanks for your help

Would they still be great for listening to "high dynamic range" music like progressive metal (where there are lows mids and highs playing at the same time or sudden transitions)?
If you tried the xba h1, how are the highs compared with the n1ap?
Sorry for so many questions,I'm still a noob
I just hope the highs are at least as good as average in ear headphones

 

[king conan]

I own Sony A3 IEM and they are the best earphones I've ever had and I enjoy their sound more than full size HP like AKG K7XX or the Senn HD650 or Phidelio X2... It may sound crazy for some of you, but the kind of sound signature just ckeck all the boxes I want, great clarity/detail and fantastic bass.
 
But, of course the Frankenstein style and mediocre confort is the only problem for me.
 
So if the N1AP has a similar signature seems a home run. Just one question for owners, How many cables are in the box? one or two? In the A3 Box there are two, one with mic and other without.
 
And the cable connection is the same of the A3?

 

[Ralphee]

I own Sony A3 IEM and they are the best earphones I've ever had and I enjoy their sound more than full size HP like AKG K7XX or the Senn HD650 or Phidelio X2... It may sound crazy for some of you, but the kind of sound signature just ckeck all the boxes I want, great clarity/detail and fantastic bass.

Doesn't sound crazy to me. Perhaps I'm biased, but I feel the same: the A3 are the rare breed of headphones that manage to lure you into WANTING to listen to them. They certainly aren't perfect (which headphone is?), but they do reward you with that special, enjoyable experience.

I'm still wavering if I should get the XBA-N3AP, as I'm afraid that they might be a disappointment compared to the XBA-A3. Yet I like the look of the N3AP, and I'd be glad for any encouraging evaluation of the two headphones.

 

[king conan]

I pulled the trigger and the N1AP are coming from Amazon Spain (150€). I'm really looking forward to compare them to my beloved A3's.

 

[KJM92]

Can You wear them over the ear?

I've owned a pair of the XBA N1AP for almost a week now and I can say from personal experience that it is in fact more comfortable to wear them over the ear than straight down. Takes a while getting used to putting them on over the ear but for the extra comfort it's totally worth it in my opinion.

I agree with the impressions that JustJoseph has posted earlier with regard to the sound quality but I just wanted to add that it sounds very much different from my dunu-1000s,se535 reds and ath-e40s...it's hard to pinpoint in which aspect but I'm guessing it's the much darker tonal presentarion and the huge emphasis on the bass.
In addition I also had major issues with the fit of the eartips provided (for reference I wear M sized tips for comply 200s and shure olives) and only the s sized triple comfort tips provided seem to work for me.