[Ralphee]

Any differences between the XBA-N3AP and the Japanese XBA-N3 model?

No, just the naming.

Besides, the N3AP (AP as in "Android phone") do have a cable remote control. The Japanese N3 don't.

 

[Chefano]

  XBA-N3 sound has gotten my by a surprise. I was not expecting much but I was very wrong. N3 has excellent clarity with great impactful bass. Not the widest sound but still trying to burn them.
 
 Very happy with them so far. 

I had high hopes on the Audio-Technica ATH-LS400 and not much on the N3. Boy I was totally wrong. The N3 put a big smile on my face! 
A little bassy to my taste, but it really hits hard!
 
The triple conforts are amazing! 
 
Congrats to sony! 

 

[audionewbi]

I had high hopes on the Audio-Technica ATH-LS400 and not much on the N3. Boy I was totally wrong. The N3 put a big smile on my face! 
A little bassy to my taste, but it really hits hard!

The triple conforts are amazing! 

Congrats to sony! :etysmile:

They surely aced the comfort and I like how the bass decays. It certainly is little on bass heavy side but no way is it bloated and over bearing . I say big congrats to Sony and I hope I get to try the LS400 one day ( I am a closet AT fanboy)

 

[Gandasaputra]

At time of my visit in Akihabara I auditioned the N3 and fell in love with it. The sound characteristic was quite similar to the XBA-A3 - V-shaped, strong bass, and nice non-fatiguing sparkle, but with significantly better comfort.
 
However it was too pricy (about 26,000 yen) and picked up something else (Radius NHR21). Now I still yearned to try it again and hope I'll get it if the price were right.

 

[Wiz33]

Picked up a set of N3 in Yobadashi a week ago. I didn't even know they were out and was just helping a friend look for IEMs. Was going to recommend the A3 but couldn't find them anywhere, asked the clerk and was told they are "end of sales" but the stupid guy did not tell me that there's N1/3 replacement. I basically stumbled on them by accident while checking out the XBA-300. 
 
I only have my XBA-30 at the time and the N1/3 sound much bassier and more like the A2/3. Luckily I did bring my A3 with me on the trip so I went back the next day and did a bunch of comparison between the A3 and the N1/3. I found the N1 to be a bit bassier than I like while the N3 is a bit more controlled with warmer vocals. The highs are probably not as bright as the A3 but not by much. What got me is the new shape, so much easier to use without getting strange looks and much more comfortable so I just grabbed one for 26000 yen tax free.
 
I only have my my phone with me on the trip and upon return. I found that just like the A3, the N3 will benefit if you have an amp but can be used in a pinch without one.

 

[Gandasaputra]

  Picked up a set of N3 in Yobadashi a week ago. I didn't even know they were out and was just helping a friend look for IEMs. Was going to recommend the A3 but couldn't find them anywhere, asked the clerk and was told they are "end of sales" but the stupid guy did not tell me that there's N1/3 replacement. I basically stumbled on them by accident while checking out the XBA-300. 
 
I only have my XBA-30 at the time and the N1/3 sound much bassier and more like the A2/3. Luckily I did bring my A3 with me on the trip so I went back the next day and did a bunch of comparison between the A3 and the N1/3. I found the N1 to be a bit bassier than I like while the N3 is a bit more controlled with warmer vocals. The highs are probably not as bright as the A3 but not by much. What got me is the new shape, so much easier to use without getting strange looks and much more comfortable so I just grabbed one for 26000 yen tax free.
 
I only have my my phone with me on the trip and upon return. I found that just like the A3, the N3 will benefit if you have an amp but can be used in a pinch without one.

Good choice. I should have grabbed the N3 too and disregard the price. The Radius earphone was too bassy - it is designed for bass-heads while I am not.

 

[Wiz33]

For those that's interested in the N1/3 in the U.S., Signup for a Amazon japan account and you can get the N1 for 16489 yen (US$144) and N3 for 29246 yen (US$256) with US$10 shipping. You will see the warning that the default seller will not ship to your country. Just click on other seller and select Amazon as they are out of stock atm but if you're not in a rush. It's a very reasonable price. 

 

[audionewbi]

I got if from Jaben Malaysia for 289 aud. far better deal than amazon Japan.

 

[Wiz33]

I got if from Jaben Malaysia for 289 aud. far better deal than amazon Japan.

 Yea, but still much better than the US$432 that they want on the Amazon US site. I don't think Amazon Japan is removing the Japanese sales tax for export sales. But Jaben is based on MYR so that translated to US$246 so it's not that much cheaper for U.S. based buyer depending on shipping. (Got a pair of N1 for a friend and Amazon only charge me US$8.50 for shipping to US).

 

[audionewbi]

 Yea, but still much better than the US$432 that they want on the Amazon US site. I don't think Amazon Japan is removing the Japanese sales tax for export sales.

They normally do if they happen to ship to your region.

 

[furankenshutein]

Hi all,
I am new to this forum and after having decided to buy a NW-WM1A thanks to the comments on the thread dedicated to this DAP, I am now looking for IEMs to pair with it.
I haven't owned a real portable player for a while and listened to music mostly with my cellphone in the last years which I pair with my Aiwa HP-J30 or Sony MDR-A34L I've owned for years.
 
Since this type of vertical headphones is no longer the trend I wanted to give intras a try.
 
From what I've read in threads on this forum and reviews on the net, I am quite interested in the XBA-N3AP and XBA-A3. I didn't have the opportunity to try intras this size and fear that they wouldn't stay in place in my ears. Do you think that I can use them without having to put them back in place every 5 minutes considering that I have narrow ear canals? Also which one would be the most comfortable to use A3 or N3AP? Does the cable passing over the ear in the case of the A3 help maintain it in position even when walking?
 
Thanks for your help.

 

[Micticmumus]

Hi all,
I am new to this forum and after having decided to buy a NW-WM1A thanks to the comments on the thread dedicated to this DAP, I am now looking for IEMs to pair with it.
I haven't owned a real portable player for a while and listened to music mostly with my cellphone in the last years which I pair with my Aiwa HP-J30 or Sony MDR-A34L I've owned for years.

Since this type of vertical headphones is no longer the trend I wanted to give intras a try.

From what I've read in threads on this forum and reviews on the net, I am quite interested in the XBA-N3AP and XBA-A3. I didn't have the opportunity to try intras this size and fear that they wouldn't stay in place in my ears. Do you think that I can use them without having to put them back in place every 5 minutes considering that I have narrow ear canals? Also which one would be the most comfortable to use A3 or N3AP? Does the cable passing over the ear in the case of the A3 help maintain it in position even when walking?

Thanks for your help.

Hello
The N3 is definitely more comfortable to wear. Since it is lighter and smaller. It is also not overhead.(personally don't like overhead with glasses) Just one thing, if you are considering upgrading to the Sony's upgrade cable, the part of the cable near earpieces can be stiff sometimes and since the N3 is not overear, it may get push out from your ear by the cable if you turn your head around.(don't know if it is because I am using smaller eartips or not) The stock cable is good but definitely try to upgrade the cable to different one depends on your taste.

 

[Wiz33]

  Hi all,
I am new to this forum and after having decided to buy a NW-WM1A thanks to the comments on the thread dedicated to this DAP, I am now looking for IEMs to pair with it.
I haven't owned a real portable player for a while and listened to music mostly with my cellphone in the last years which I pair with my Aiwa HP-J30 or Sony MDR-A34L I've owned for years.
 
Since this type of vertical headphones is no longer the trend I wanted to give intras a try.
 
From what I've read in threads on this forum and reviews on the net, I am quite interested in the XBA-N3AP and XBA-A3. I didn't have the opportunity to try intras this size and fear that they wouldn't stay in place in my ears. Do you think that I can use them without having to put them back in place every 5 minutes considering that I have narrow ear canals? Also which one would be the most comfortable to use A3 or N3AP? Does the cable passing over the ear in the case of the A3 help maintain it in position even when walking?
 
Thanks for your help.

I own both and I would say if you're mostly using it while on the go. Get the N3, it so much easier to manage. I've pretty much only use the A3 at home/office now and just carry the N3 with me everywhere.

 

[furankenshutein]

Thanks both of you for your answers. I indeed will use it mainly while on the go and at office so i think that since the two seem to sound a bit the same I will consider the XBA-N3AP rather than A3. I will also check other options such as shure se535 and other IEMs around 300€ before making my mind but maybe that's not the place to discuss it.

 

[Robmoores1]

So, this is the first impressions “review” that I have done on Head-Fi and so would ask you to be patient.
 
I am also pretty new to the world of headphone audio – I have owned a few players and headphones/IEM’s in the past but always ended up moving them on as the sound quality has never been significantly better than I was getting from my iPhone and Sony IEM’s.
 
For Christmas, I got a Cayin DAP and all has changed. It has opened a window into a new audiophile world that I wasn’t expecting.
 
After purchasing the Cayin I got the Meze 99 Classics and was totally blown away by the sound quality. I have a pretty decent system in my lounge and this pairing is better on several levels and for significantly less money.
 
My search then began to find an IEM that would be as enjoyable as the Meze’s – and what a frustrating search it has been!
 
I have tried a number of models so far (and yes I know I need to get to try the Meze 12’s but they are out of stock locally) without any luck.
 
I was browsing Amazon the other night and saw the XBA-N3AP’s for sale and thought that as I enjoy the Sony MDR-EX650AP so much that I might as well give them a try.
 
And I have to say that they have been a pleasant surprise. I am not sure that they are exactly what I am ultimately looking for but the positive far outweigh the negatives and they are the best of the IEM’s I have tried out recently.
 
So a quick run down of my findings. I have used the N3’s exclusively with my Cayin i5 DAP listening to FLAC files. Music has included Pink Floyd, Ryan Adams, James Taylor, Foo Fighters, Baroque Classical, The Carpenters, Jack Johnson, John Mayer, Jackson Browne, Paul Simon and Jean Michel Jarre – to name but a few.
 
Build Quality
 
Seems to be excellent. They are very light – lighter than I thought they were going to be given their perceived bulk in images. The cables are detachable and the cable would appear to be of good quality too and doesn’t tangle too easily.

The IEM’s come with a good quality semi rigid case that has plenty of room for the headphones and spare ear tips.
 
Wear
 
The N3’s sit in my ears nicely with no discomfort. I am using the standard tips (medium) and not the foam Triple Comfort which I find to be very uncomfortable and fall out of my ears.
 
They need a little shoving into my ear canal to make a nice tight seal but once there they don’t seem to want to budge. I have taken my dog on a couple of long walks and not had to fiddle with them to keep them in place. Again their light weight helps with this.
 
Soundstage/Imaging
 
Soundstage is superb with great width and depth and an airiness (I think someone has mentioned this before). It can make music feel slightly less substantial though the midrange to me though and I will come on to that.
 
Imaging is great – I am able to ascertain the different instruments in a song which is great.
 
Bass
 
This is nice and articulate. Not too deep but with plenty of “thud” and impact to drum beats. Not at all overpowering to my ears and it has a decent drive to it which moves music along nicely.
 
Treble
 
This is not what I would call the N3’s strong point. Better than some of the other IEM’s I tried. It is smooth and doesn’t call attention to itself but not as refined to me as the Westone W30 where, for example, high piano notes sound sublime which great definition and sparkle to them.
 
Midrange
 
This is the area I think that is the N3’s biggest weakness. It is most apparent with acoustic music where there is little low bass the flesh out the sound. To my acoustic guitars and vocalist lose presence and “meat”. It’s not horrible by any stretch of the imagination and totally inoffensive. There is a slight lack of realism to me though that the Meze’s, I think major on.
 
I am probably being a little hyper critical here as the lower bass is so good. Maybe over time the  drivers will loosen up but to me there is something almost indefinably missing.
 
On Balance
 
Taking everything into account this is a very good pair of IEM’s. The sound doesn’t blow me away but it also doesn’t on the whole totally disappoint and they sound better, again on balance, than the other IEM’s I have tried in the last couple of weeks which are:
 
·      RHA T20i – astounding bass but the treble was always a bit rough to my ears
·      Fidue A73 – these just sounded odd to me. The treble in particular was well “sparkly” but for all the wrong reasons and made them unbalanced
·      Trinity Master 4 – too fiddly. Could never get the balance right or any decent bass out of them
·      Tennmak Pro – read Amazon’s reviews on these and bought them because they were cheap and supposed to punch above their weight. They did in some ways and sounded like a very warm pair of IEM’s with a good soundstage. The issue I had was the treble to my ears sounded like it was being played through a kazoo. I exaggerate a little but it was annoying
·      Westone W40 – the best of this bunch bar the N3’s. If I could have the Sony bass in the W30 package it would be superb. They were just a little too lightweight in the bass department. I also found their silicone tips introduced just a little too much sibilance. The foam tips were very uncomfortable after an hour or so. I have heard they the W40’s have a slightly darker sound and they could be ideal but they are out of my price range sadly.
 
Okay, I think that I have gone on long enough. This initial impression was only supposed to be a couple of words. Sorry this is not full of technical jargon – I am still finding my feet here…….
 
Finally, if anyone can recommend other IEM’s I should try up to around £250 please let me know.
 
That’s it. I’ve gone!