[Phosphenetre]

Wow, this thread really picked up while I was asleep. Must be the time difference.
 
nyrychvantel, thank you for that update on the GR07 pricing! I visited their page just two days ago to have a look at how much the GR07 goes for now, and it was still the regular price. This is now very compelling.
 
So from what I gather, there's actually now a fair majority of people who find the e-Q5 to have the dreaded treble roll-off that's in the Golden Ears measurement (here). There's also several people (Techno Kid, and a few other reviews and Head-Fier impressions I've read), who feel the GR07 likes depth in its soundstage, while eke2k6 has a rather interesting description of the soundstage that I'll only be able to verify once I bought the GR07.
 
The way I think of it, frequency extension is really important, as it's something that can't be fixed by EQ. The same could be said about soundstage depth (or lack of it, in the case of several opinions of the GR07). So between the GR07 and e-Q5, I suppose it's a matter of picking the lesser of two evils. 
 
I'm also very interested in the RE-400, especially after a couple of reviews Techno Kid linked me to. There are some mixed opinions on the treble presence though, with some calling it warmer than neutral, and some calling it perfectly neutral. So the RE-400 is still in the scram here.
 
Can anyone compare the RE-400 and the GR07 with detail retrieval and instrument separation?

 

[Inks]

Quote:

Wow, this thread really picked up while I was asleep. Must be the time difference.
 
nyrychvantel, thank you for that update on the GR07 pricing! I visited their page just two days ago to have a look at how much the GR07 goes for now, and it was still the regular price. This is now very compelling.
 
So from what I gather, there's actually now a fair majority of people who find the e-Q5 to have the dreaded treble roll-off that's in the Golden Ears measurement (here). There's also several people (Techno Kid, and a few other reviews and Head-Fier impressions I've read), who feel the GR07 likes depth in its soundstage, while eke2k6 has a rather interesting description of the soundstage that I'll only be able to verify once I bought the GR07.
 
The way I think of it, frequency extension is really important, as it's something that can't be fixed by EQ. The same could be said about soundstage depth (or lack of it, in the case of several opinions of the GR07). So between the GR07 and e-Q5, I suppose it's a matter of picking the lesser of two evils. 
 
I'm also very interested in the RE-400, especially after a couple of reviews Techno Kid linked me to. There are some mixed opinions on the treble presence though, with some calling it warmer than neutral, and some calling it perfectly neutral. So the RE-400 is still in the scram here.
 
Can anyone compare the RE-400 and the GR07 with detail retrieval and instrument separation?

Soundstage depth is ruled by frequency response, 1-4k regions. More boosted, equals less depth, GR07 does have depth, but not width/height which is ruled by it's shell characteristics and insertion. If just basing on frequency range
RE400>GR07>>EQ5

 

[Phosphenetre]

Interesting, did not make that correlation between soundstage depth and frequency response in the 1k - 4k area. Thanks, Inks.
 
In what aspects do you find the frequency response characteristics of the RE-400 superior to GR07 Mk2, if I may ask?
 
Also, can you give me a brief comparison of the RE-400 and GR07 MkII in other relevant areas? I'm especially interested in instrument separation, transparency and speed and control of the drivers.

 

[Inks]

I meant bandwidth not overall response, and I made a mistake GR07 has more bandwidth because of the bass extension difference. I like GR07 a bit more tho I wish it were less warm. They're both on par on all 3 aspects. They differ more in tonality

 

[Phosphenetre]

Which of the two would you say falls closer to neutral, especially in the treble region? I ask because I'm worried about either of these IEMs sounding a bit too warm for my understanding of neutral.

 

[Inks]

Hmm very very close, I'll say GR07 by a bit. 

 

[Techno Kid]

Quote:

Which of the two would you say falls closer to neutral, especially in the treble region? I ask because I'm worried about either of these IEMs sounding a bit too warm for my understanding of neutral.

 
Get the RE-400, you know that's the one you really want, or was it the e-Q5, wait no its the GR07 BE or was it the MKII? 

 
I kid because I care.

 

[Phosphenetre]

I think I'd be courting too much of a risk ordering the e-Q5 chiefly because the treble extension has such mixed opinions, along with that measurement that does indicate it has a steep upper-treble roll-off.
I'm not damning it as unsuitable for my needs, but it is a risk I'm not sure I can afford to take.
 
So for now, it's between the GR07 MkII and the RE-400. The GR07 Bass Edition briefly had my interest because some indicated it only extended the sub-bass further without affecting mid-bass levels and midrange warmth, but I think the majority seems to find the BE to have a boosted bottom-end as well, which I wouldn't want, again.

 

[Zalithian]

Quote:

 
 
The mids of the e-Q5 are some of the best I've heard and the over all signature and sound of whole IEM is just very good.  Like I've said I was shocked when comparing them with the SM3 V2 and how the e-Q5 sounds every bit as good and even better in some cases.  The fact that you can get them from Japan for around $165 make them a no brainer if your looking for a an IEM with great mids a spacious and cohesive soundstage with very good 3D imaging.

Where did you find them for that price?

 

[jay-w]

Quote:

Where did you find them for that price?

 
Ah...yeah. That would just about clinch the deal for me.

 

[Phosphenetre]

Hello everyone, I decided a week ago, to go with the VSonic GR07 MkII. By all accounts, they weren't going to be perfect, but they seemed like they'd be the ones that'd disappoint me the least, among the competition (HiFiMan RE-400, Ortofon e-Q5). 
 
They arrived yesterday, and they live up to that promise. I love them. They're pretty much everything I wanted. I've only had them for a day, so they haven't really burned in yet, but so far, the only real shortcoming I see in these is that the upper-treble is a bit laid-back from a neutral benchmark, say, roughly 12k and above. Not rolled-off, not really lacking in extension, but just a little laid-back, true to the reviews and descriptions. A spot of EQ, even on my phone's media player, brings them to exactly where I want, and makes them sound genuinely without major flaw, to my ears. They strike the perfect balance for what I'm looking for, as detailed in that epic first post in this thread. I'll now experiment more with tips, to see if they bring about significant improvements in the upper treble.
 
I want to thank everyone who helped me in this long, protracted, frustrating quest for my new IEM, both by responding to my PMs and/or this thread - |joker|, ClieOS, Swimsonny, Techno Kid, soundstige, Inks, eke2k6, Exci, james444, shotgunshane, shane55, goodvibes and nyrychvantel (who pointed out the excellent LendMeUrEars sale deal). 

 

[Exci]

Glad you like them and enjoy your purchase!

 

[Jodiuh]

Quote:

Hello everyone, I decided a week ago, to go with the VSonic GR07 MkII.
 
They arrived yesterday, and they live up to that promise. I love them. They're pretty much everything I wanted. I've only had them for a day, so they haven't really burned in yet...

 
How are they now that you've had a chance to burn them in?

 

[Phosphenetre]

I really like them. They are pretty much exactly what I wanted, the only deviation that the upper treble(12k and above) is a little laid-back from the ideal neutral benchmark. On the grand scheme of things though, they're definitely a neutral IEM, no question. Detailing and separation is fantastic. I don't notice a lack of depth in soundstage, it's about average there.

 

[Jodiuh]

I do notice a bit less treble than IIRC, the RE0 and TF10. But the combination of great sub bass and clear mids is a first for me in an IEM, so I'm VERY happy.