[jmills8]

Dweaver got the XBA-H1's as i read on the H3 forums first few pages, how do you feel your Z5's improvement over the H1's?

I got the H3's who many said to skip LOL..... Recently purchased a set of XBA-A3's and yup, a big-leap forward in improvement of the sound over the H3's, with few Hours of burn-in i can state those have a big deep bass that pushes hard and rumbles (when needed) but without being boomy and leaking into the mids/highs. Other are of improvement with burn-in is the soundstage is opening up and getting bigger than H3's.

However i note they need a bit more of volume UP than the H3's to sound at the same volume loudness

very true the A3 and especially the Z5 do need power.The Z5 becones another iem with an amp. The A3 will scale with an amp and the Z5 will scale more.

 

[gerelmx1986]

very true the A3 and especially the Z5 do need power.The Z5 becones another iem with an amp. The A3 will scale with an amp and the Z5 will scale more.

 
Currently using an Oppo HA-2 in amp-only mode, with a Sony walkman A17, i am burning them (A3) with High gain, but tomorrow to preserve battery at work will use Low gain setting and will se how they fare
 
But yeah Brandenburg Concertos so far soooo good, many instruments well rendered, recorders (baroque flute), violins, gambas, Harpsichords, oboes, trumpets nice layered sound and so coherent
 
I know burn in is happening because they are sound a bit crazy uncoherent at times, and also can be problem of misadjustment, I hate the new earhooks so much, i have to fiddle with them constantly to adjust them frequently, I think i will try wearing them cable-down instead, XBA-H3 hooks were better

 

[cuiter23]

I am a 50 year old married fat man. Looking good isn't very high up my priority list

. But listening to good music is

. They actually don't look quite as bad in person versus the picture.

 
" " - (Dweaver, 2015)

 

[gerelmx1986]

UPDATE ON ISOLATION: They isolate waaayyy better than the H3's (i deep insert my A3's) still i cnan heard some noises but not as *evrything* like the H3,
 
I will try tomoow using he foam-filled plugs,
 
 
UPDATE #2--> bas has gotten its form, is firm and deeper than H3 but is controled and not at all Boomy, doesn't leak into mids, love the detailed they are becoming, feel more 3D and wide
 
Told my coworkers in the most polte way to shut-up the office-world

 by plugging y A3s nto mycanals

 

[JTLovesMusic]

  UPDATE ON ISOLATION: They isolate waaayyy better than the H3's (i deep insert my A3's) still i cnan heard some noises but not as *evrything* like the H3,
 
I will try tomoow using he foam-filled plugs,
 
 
UPDATE #2--> bas has gotten its form, is firm and deeper than H3 but is controled and not at all Boomy, doesn't leak into mids, love the detailed they are becoming, feel more 3D and wide
 
Told my coworkers in the most polte way to shut-up the office-world

 by plugging y A3s nto mycanals

Nooo, don't use the foam eartips. Although isolation is increased, the overall sound will become less detailed.

 

[RedJohn456]

Sony should be sending my replacement Z5 sometime this week. Last unit had a defective cable where the loop on the right side had much less rigidity than the left, so it was defective out of the box. They replaced it no questions asked. Love the sony customer service.
 
Now if Sony engineers went back to making iems with better build quality, I wouldn't have to be in touch with the customer service team so often lol.
 
Seriously though really missing my Z5 a lot. Cant wait to try it balanced with the Geek Out V2. But meanwhile I have these two beauties to keep me company while my Z5 is out
 


Awesome awesome build quality on these things. Not a fan of the 7550 cable however, but the EX1000 is one sexy iem. Z5 feels more premium in some ways but I would pick the EX1000 build quality any day.

 

[gerelmx1986]

  Sony should be sending my replacement Z5 sometime this week. Last unit had a defective cable where the loop on the right side had much less rigidity than the left, so it was defective out of the box. They replaced it no questions asked. Love the sony customer service.
 

You could have bought another MMCX cable

 

[RedJohn456]

  You could have bought another MMCX cable

Buy a replacement cable for a defect out of the box? Not sure anyone in their right mind would do that? (I bought it locally so I don't have to deal with shipping it overseas etc) 
 
Besides, I even tried to buy a replacement cable, they don't sell it separately. In fact they don't even replace cables. Their policy is to replace the entire unit. Usually I would be happy with that but in this case I got a Z5 with strong solid connectors and I just prefer to replace the cable. But they had me send it in and they told me they saw the defect and ordered me a new unit. 

 

[gerelmx1986]

Buy a replacement cable for a defect out of the box? Not sure anyone in their right mind would do that? (I bought it locally so I don't have to deal with shipping it overseas etc) 
 
Besides, I even tried to buy a replacement cable, they don't sell it separately. In fact they don't even replace cables. Their policy is to replace the entire unit. Usually I would be happy with that but in this case I got a Z5 with strong solid connectors and I just prefer to replace the cable. But they had me send it in and they told me they saw the defect and ordered me a new unit. 

ah ok ok so the defect was not the cable but the MMCX socket it self, misunderstood

 

[RedJohn456]

  ah ok ok so the defect was not the cable but the MMCX socket it self, misunderstood

 
Problem was with the ear hook on the right side. The connectors were perfect lol. 

 

[Simon T]

 
Seriously though really missing my Z5 a lot. Cant wait to try it balanced with the Geek Out V2. But meanwhile I have these two beauties to keep me company while my Z5 is out

 
Hi RedJohn456,
 
It seems that the Geek Out V2 does not have the 3.5mm balanced left and right outputs features, like in the PHA3 and Pono Player.
 
Were you referring to Geek Out V2 TRRS balanced output?
 
https://support.lhlabs.com/support/solutions/articles/5000634421-geek-out-v2-user-manual- 
 
Single Ended And Balanced Outputs
 
Geek Out V2 features two audio outputs. A 1/8”/3.5mm single-ended (TRS) output, as well as a 1/8”/3.5mm balanced (TRRS) output.
 
The Single-Ended Output is indicated with a "SE" mark above the headphone jack. A "BAL" for Balanced output is indicated above the jack that is directly under the USB port. It is not recommended to use a Single-ended (TRS) 3.5mm jack for the balanced output and will not be covered under warranty if damage occurs. By incorporating a TRRS to XLR cable, the Geek Out V2 can be connected to a home stereo system in full balanced mode.
 
V2 Pin-out Diagram:
 

 
 
 Cheers

 

[RedJohn456]

   
Hi RedJohn456,
 
It seems that the Geek Out V2 does not have the 3.5mm balanced left and right outputs features, like in the PHA3 and Pono Player.
 
Were you referring to Geek Out V2 TRRS balanced output?
 
https://support.lhlabs.com/support/solutions/articles/5000634421-geek-out-v2-user-manual- 
 
Single Ended And Balanced Outputs
 
Geek Out V2 features two audio outputs. A 1/8”/3.5mm single-ended (TRS) output, as well as a 1/8”/3.5mm balanced (TRRS) output.
 
The Single-Ended Output is indicated with a "SE" mark above the headphone jack. A "BAL" for Balanced output is indicated above the jack that is directly under the USB port. It is not recommended to use a Single-ended (TRS) 3.5mm jack for the balanced output and will not be covered under warranty if damage occurs. By incorporating a TRRS to XLR cable, the Geek Out V2 can be connected to a home stereo system in full balanced mode.
 
V2 Pin-out Diagram:
 

 
 
 Cheers

wait so its not the same as the PHA3 and pono balanced out? But it has two ports...

 

[RedJohn456]

   
Hi RedJohn456,
 
It seems that the Geek Out V2 does not have the 3.5mm balanced left and right outputs features, like in the PHA3 and Pono Player.
 
Were you referring to Geek Out V2 TRRS balanced output?
 
https://support.lhlabs.com/support/solutions/articles/5000634421-geek-out-v2-user-manual- 
 
Single Ended And Balanced Outputs
 
Geek Out V2 features two audio outputs. A 1/8”/3.5mm single-ended (TRS) output, as well as a 1/8”/3.5mm balanced (TRRS) output.
 
The Single-Ended Output is indicated with a "SE" mark above the headphone jack. A "BAL" for Balanced output is indicated above the jack that is directly under the USB port. It is not recommended to use a Single-ended (TRS) 3.5mm jack for the balanced output and will not be covered under warranty if damage occurs. By incorporating a TRRS to XLR cable, the Geek Out V2 can be connected to a home stereo system in full balanced mode.
 
V2 Pin-out Diagram:
 

 
 
 Cheers

Thank you so much for brining this to my attention, might have damaged my gears if I hadn't known. Am kind of bummed out that it won't work like that   I just wish the pono had USB dac functionality. Why the heck did they not include it?? I would have just gotten that in that case 

 

[Simon T]

 
Thank you so much for brining this to my attention, might have damaged my gears if I hadn't known. Am kind of bummed out that it won't work like that   I just wish the pono had USB dac functionality. Why the heck did they not include it?? I would have just gotten that in that case 

 
Wish I could have told you earlier.
 
I myself have been doing some research on alternatives to the Pono Player and PHA 3, which included the Geek Out V2+ Infinity and the Alo Audio Continental Dual Mono.  Unfortunately, no success so far.
 
Cheers 

 

[jmills8]

Your aim is home use only or portable ?