[gerelmx1986]

After looking at some real snapshots of the new XBA-300AP they look nice after all, IMHO sony's 3D renders sometimes make products look uglier than what they really are in real-life

 

[jmills8]

I use Comply size 500.

 

[gerelmx1986]

what happens if a manufacturer makes a IEM with unvented dynamic driver? or if you completely block the vent?

 

[Inks]

Should be less bassy, but it's clearly not the case here if anything I hear some would like less midbass on these

I think they compensated by venting the actual driver a good amount

 

[gerelmx1986]

Should be less bassy, but it's clearly not the case here if anything I hear some would like less midbass on these

I think they compensated by venting the actual driver a good amount

I tought the DD would rip it sel off and be destroyed because no air flow maybe it balloons with the trapped air and pops

 

[Inks]

No there is not enough air flow on any dynamic for that, people overestimate the flow.

 

[gerelmx1986]

No there is not enough air flow on any dynamic for that, people overestimate the flow.

Thanks, curiosity resolved

 

[daniel_hokkaido]

Hey all 
 
Little tip-rolling anecdote .... 
 
Switched back to sony tips after 6 months of exclusively using spinfits. Just reg silicon sony tips as the hybrids feel bulky in the ear canal. 
 
I must say I was really blown away firstly at the difference the Sony tips made to the sound sig of the z5. the spinfits go deeper in the ear, have more bass but in fact I'd say that increased bass
suffers in quality and bleed into the mids. It's the mids that the Sony tips really bring out, in terms of forwardness but also clarity (with nice smoothness) while the highs are definitely less
sibilant to my ears compared with the spinfits. 
 
Also ... the tips seem to purchase in my ear much better while using the Sony upgrade cable which doesn't have ear guides to support the z5 iem body. I hope this is the case while listening 
vertical today too! As switching back to the MUC cable I now see it as a really nice upgrade and MASSIVELY increases punch (esp off drums), you can hear instruments decay into the background much more clearly 
too and the soundstage is taller...extending downwards more so and a bit upwards. 
 
balanced out of PONO as always  

 

[Kerouac]

balanced out of PONO as always  

 
Z5 balanced out of Pono sounds amazing!

 

 

[jmills8]

Hey all 

Little tip-rolling anecdote .... 

Switched back to sony tips after 6 months of exclusively using spinfits. Just reg silicon sony tips as the hybrids feel bulky in the ear canal. 

I must say I was really blown away firstly at the difference the Sony tips made to the sound sig of the z5. the spinfits go deeper in the ear, have more bass but in fact I'd say that increased bass
suffers in quality and bleed into the mids. It's the mids that the Sony tips really bring out, in terms of forwardness but also clarity (with nice smoothness) while the highs are definitely less
sibilant to my ears compared with the spinfits. 

Also ... the tips seem to purchase in my ear much better while using the Sony upgrade cable which doesn't have ear guides to support the z5 iem body. I hope this is the case while listening 
vertical today too! As switching back to the MUC cable I now see it as a really nice upgrade and MASSIVELY increases punch (esp off drums), you can hear instruments decay into the background much more clearly 
too and the soundstage is taller...extending downwards more so and a bit upwards. 

balanced out of PONO as always  

you mean the upgrade cable improves the bass punch ?

 

[daniel_hokkaido]

um well off drums I found it did. So maybe more the upper freqs . The fuller sound is a bonus though. Ive found that with thicker cables before...they drive the phones better 

 

[gerelmx1986]

sold my h3's, mexico's post speed service is turtle thanks to national day on 16th they took two-day off so wait more for them... for now using crappy $8 altek phones (100 pesos)

 

[gerelmx1986]

XBA-A3 Review (Straight out of the box)​

 ​

Finally got my babies, they came in the original box, sealed brand new

 
Accessories & package
 
The package gives you a premium feeling, almost like opening a jewelry box, but is not that fancy as it suggest, included accessories are the same as the ones included in the XBA-H3 Box, excep for the MMCX have a slightly different connector style (still MMCX), so those accesories are a shirt clip, cable winder, carrying case (same as XBA-H3), smartphone cable (single button mic), the tips SS, S, M & L sizes  and the foam filled ones in S, M & L sizes, some user guides in japanese

 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 
Fit, Seal & comfort
 
Those are slimmer than the XBA-H3, they have the kind of fit i always wanted to have with the H3, I can insert them deeper without pain, they seem to isolate better than the H3, updates on this after monday workday, noisy office is the test

, the tips no longer feel itchy, they are comfortable enough, the isolate better due the vent was moved to the stem area and shaped like a tiny slit.
 
Sound Quality
 
First, need to get rid of the XBA-H3 sound signature "worm" inside my head..

, boy, bass on those is waaay lighter, is nothing what some reviewers say that is still the same as H3, A3's bass is finer, pushes deeper only when needed, but the good thing is that is no longer boomy.
 
Mids are lush, silky smooth, more forward sounding than H3 without making the A3 mid-centric, unlike my MDR-1R at times sound mid-centric, warble-like distortion gone from A3 mids (this was present on H3, heard it on opera & classical vocal or violin pieces, I've checked my files and are fine)
 
Highs: More forward sounding IMHO, yes a bit subdued and less shrill than H3, at the same time they feel less congested, giving a more airy presentation overall, i ca hear all small naunces like the choir organ in those Choralbuch of the German master of Music JS Bach.. Seems those new linear-drive BA's are making their job exceptionally well. just love those radiant highs and mids
 
Overall presentation of the music is more airier, less dark than H3's, for me the A3's (call me crazy if u want) seem to be perfectly neutral, no frequency is emphasized, My MDR-1R are not so neutral, but well lets see what changes after 200 Hours of either brain or mechanism burn-in

 
Soundstage is bigger, yeah I like it, each instrument is separated well and distinguishable from the rest. those small naunces easily reproduced very well (after this work day with crappy $6 US dollar headphones) seems my music was able to breathe

, many people is not aware of how much details you loose with cheapie headphones.... is a great deal, boomy bass, much of the mids were gone, even voice sounds like crap in the no-name headphones that cost nothing
 
PROS
 +better sonic presentation than XBA-H3
 +Neutral SQ & airy
 +Stay true to recording
 +Price to performance ratio excellent real MSRP $360 US Dollar (my amazon bargain 294 US Dollar)
 +Build quality & aesthetics
 +Fit, comfort & isolation
 
CONS
 -Same cheap-looking carrying case as H3's
 -MMCX Cable connector seems shorter than stem socket, so it wiggles a bit
 -Cable hook/ear hangers not nice, the feel weird and have to readjust pretty freqeuntly, prefer cable down wear rather than arround-ear
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
I am currently burning-them in, oppo HA-2 on High gain, BONUS: they fit the Balanced audio cable i exchanged with @dweaver some time ago this year

 

[JTLovesMusic]

 

XBA-A3 Review (Straight out of the box)​

 ​

Finally got my babies, they came in the original box, sealed brand new

 
Accessories & package
 
The package gives you a premium feeling, almost like opening a jewelry box, but is not that fancy as it suggest, included accessories are the same as the ones included in the XBA-H3 Box, excep for the MMCX have a slightly different connector style (still MMCX), so those accesories are a shirt clip, cable winder, carrying case (same as XBA-H3), smartphone cable (single button mic), the tips SS, S, M & L sizes  and the foam filled ones in S, M & L sizes, some user guides in japanese

 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 
Fit, Seal & comfort
 
Those are slimmer than the XBA-H3, they have the kind of fit i always wanted to have with the H3, I can insert them deeper without pain, they seem to isolate better than the H3, updates on this after monday workday, noisy office is the test

, the tips no longer feel itchy, they are comfortable enough, the isolate better due the vent was moved to the stem area and shaped like a tiny slit.
 
Sound Quality
 
First, need to get rid of the XBA-H3 sound signature "worm" inside my head..

, boy, bass on those is waaay lighter, is nothing what some reviewers say that is still the same as H3, A3's bass is finer, pushes deeper only when needed, but the good thing is that is no longer boomy.
 
Mids are lush, silky smooth, more forward sounding than H3 without making the A3 mid-centric, unlike my MDR-1R at times sound mid-centric, warble-like distortion gone from A3 mids (this was present on H3, heard it on opera & classical vocal or violin pieces, I've checked my files and are fine)
 
Highs: More forward sounding IMHO, yes a bit subdued and less shrill than H3, at the same time they feel less congested, giving a more airy presentation overall, i ca hear all small naunces like the choir organ in those Choralbuch of the German master of Music JS Bach.. Seems those new linear-drive BA's are making their job exceptionally well. just love those radiant highs and mids
 
Overall presentation of the music is more airier, less dark than H3's, for me the A3's (call me crazy if u want) seem to be perfectly neutral, no frequency is emphasized, My MDR-1R are not so neutral, but well lets see what changes after 200 Hours of either brain or mechanism burn-in

 
Soundstage is bigger, yeah I like it, each instrument is separated well and distinguishable from the rest. those small naunces easily reproduced very well (after this work day with crappy $6 US dollar headphones) seems my music was able to breathe

, many people is not aware of how much details you loose with cheapie headphones.... is a great deal, boomy bass, much of the mids were gone, even voice sounds like crap in the no-name headphones that cost nothing
 
PROS
 +better sonic presentation than XBA-H3
 +Neutral SQ & airy
 +Stay true to recording
 +Price to performance ratio excellent real MSRP $360 US Dollar (my amazon bargain 294 US Dollar)
 +Build quality & aesthetics
 +Fit, comfort & isolation
 
CONS
 -Same cheap-looking carrying case as H3's
 -MMCX Cable connector seems shorter than stem socket, so it wiggles a bit
 -Cable hook/ear hangers not nice, the feel weird and have to readjust pretty freqeuntly, prefer cable down wear rather than arround-ear
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
I am currently burning-them in, oppo HA-2 on High gain, BONUS: they fit the Balanced audio cable i exchanged with @dweaver some time ago this year

Nice review mate, btw i agree with them sounding neutral. The special thing bout the A3 & Z5 is they sound really neutral & uncolored although they are v-shaped sounding earphones with deep bass and bright highs.

 

[Uberclocked]

  Nice review mate, btw i agree with them sounding neutral. The special thing bout the A3 & Z5 is they sound really neutral & uncolored although they are v-shaped sounding earphones with deep bass and bright highs.

Wait, what?  You're contradicting yourself there, mate.  That's like saying blue is red.