Sunrise i100 Review
Apr 21, 2011 at 7:03 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 26
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Sunrise i100 Review
 
Thanks to UKheadphones and Sunrise Audio for the samples.
 
First impressions:  Well I wasn’t expecting to get anything else in the package, erm what are they?  (I later found out they are to be called i100’s) obviously it’s got a mic on it so it’s easy to tell what market this will be aimed at.  Sound wise the first thing is these aren’t vented, at all, which I can tell is going to be a problem for me as it always is.  That aside I kinda like them, so much, much cleaner than the Xcape V2 they came with.  Hopefully I find a tip that will aid with the venting issue.  Of to burn.
 

 
Source 1G iPod Shuffle with a 75 ohm adapter added (predominantly)
 
Lows:  Very clean, very controlled and maybe a little light.   I say light but by that I mean compared to what many might want but I think it’s a spot on amount, particularly after spending time with its siblings (Xscape v2) they are such a breath of fresh air.  So airy, light and natural sounding.  It has decent depth, decent impact and it knows its place so well.  Oh god so well.  This is one of the best controlled and even handed low ends on things I’ve heard for a while.  I really do find myself enjoying the low end on these far more than I would have expected to.  Quantity wise its sitting at around M3 levels, enough for most I’d think and very much in line with everything else, no frequency range is particularly dominant.
 
Natalie Imbruglia’s “Satellite” has a good low running through it but it never dominates and the i100 treats it exactly how it’s supposed to be done.  Deep and rising up in abundance when it’s called upon to, its impressively pleasant to hear.
 
 
 
Mids:  lovely, a tiny touch on the dryer side of things but this only serves to inject they tiniest touch of added air and breath to things.  It sounds great and again I find myself really enjoying listen.  The Beautiful South’s “Old Red Eyes is Back” it done perfectly.  Okay so it’s not perfect but for something of this pricing its really very, very pleasent on the ear.  The mids are maybe the tiniest bit recessed behind the highs and bass but as a mid lover it’s not enough to upset me so I can’t imagine most would notice anyway.  I like these.
 
Highs:  This is where I find it uber easy to tear stuff apart especially cheap stuff because the highs are the easiest bit to screw up and nothing causes offense like a brutal gritty top end.  Sunrise pretty much nails it here, for something than won’t cost the earth its remarkably balanced and even handed.  That’s really the running theme throughout with these but it’s true.  They do everything well.  The highs here can extend decently well, they have enough edge to have some sparkle and enough delicacy about them to shimmer and decay.  It’s taking the middle path and getting a bit of the best of everything.   Now it’s not the best treble in the universe and it will get a little bit more distant if there is too much going on and there is some big bass diverting its attention but that is just what it should do.  When you push it, it still remains composed yet lively and never begins to break up and become unruly.  Well done Sunrise.
 

 
Soundstage:  Pretty good, it’s a dynamic but its closed so don’t be expecting vast sweeping plains before you.
 
Comfort:  For me it was great well, see fit.
 
Fit:  A bit of a pain really, not physically painful but I could easily see it becoming so.  I have in the past had major issues with unvented IEM’s (unvented dynamic one’s anyway.)  It makes it a pain to get them sitting right to get these to sound good and in the past the playing about, adjusting, pulling out, pushing in all creates pressure on my ear and can become really painful.  So be warned if you have issues with unvented stuff then these may not be the ones for you.  It’s a real shame too as the one black spot these have for me.
 
Cable:  Nice, nothing magical but has a good texture, rubbery and the jack feels really very solid.
 
Microphonics:  Worn up not really any, worn down you do.  They do come with a shirt clip so that goes a long way to controlling the issue.
 

 
Phone use:  Well I tried these with my phone (ZTE Blade) and it didn’t play well.  I honestly think that’s more my phones doing as the Ety mc3 played even more badly with them.  I never actually use my phone for music so it’s never bothered me.
 
Build Quality:  The buds don’t really look that special but everything feels solid, the jack particularly so.  It all offers a good tactile experience and I see no reason to think it won’t stand up to plenty of wear and tear.
 
Accessories:  Well I got nothing but it was a pre release sample so no retail bundle.
 
Value:  Well it’s hard to say given that there is no pricing out for the i100 but unless Sunrise do something stupid I can’t see thin not being great value (so long as the venting issue isn’t a problem for you.)  These make a great balanced noise and that’s pretty uncommon from what I’ve seen of the mic’d market.
 

 
 
Conclusion:  I feel a little torn about these, I loved the sound of them but the venting issue meant it took me about 10 minutes to get them to sound right and it’s frustrating as hell.  I couldn’t see me wanting to bother with that out and about.  That said it’s an issue I have and not everyone does so you may be fine.  I want to just ignore it as issue for a minute but I can’t, it potentially a huge issue for some so be aware of it.  If you’re lucky enough that venting not a problem for you then these are a fantastic little mic’d IEM.  It does a little bit of everything and does it mightily well.
 
 
 
Apr 21, 2011 at 7:04 AM Post #2 of 26
 
Sunrise i100 Quick Review
 
Thanks to UKheadphones and Sunrise Audio for the samples.
 
Brief:  A Sunrise with a mic and button that you’ll be happy to wake up to.
 
Price:  I've been told they will be less than £30
 
Specification:  ?
 
Accessories:  ?
 
Build Quality:  Good, looks nice and is very tactile.  Solid.
 
Isolation:  Rather a lot for a dynamic, certainly enough to get you hit with a bus you never heard behind you.
 
Microphonics:  Worn up not really any but quite a bit if worn down, they do come with a shirt clip so you can mostly remove with it with that.
 
Comfort/Fit:  Comfort was great for me, nice small buds that sat in my ear just fine.  Fit however was a pain, major venting issues so it took a lot of fiddling to get them sounding right and more time than I’m happy to spend on such a thing.  Still it’s not a problem for everyone but no venting always causes me trouble.
 
Aesthetics:  Honestly it’s kinda bland, they aren’t ugly or offensive in anyway but they aren’t in any way attractive.  They are just little black non descript buds.
 
Sound:  Very, very good.  They have a great balance, so even and controlled yet never boring sounding.  They behave so well and even if you really push them they just back down, erring on the side of caution.  They never became harsh or aggressive yet still can do sparkle and lively.  It really is an impressive all round and well packaged sound, so much so I think only the M3 is springing to being as being so well balanced sounding.  I like it, I like it a lot.
 
Value:  Hard to say exactly since I have no price for them but I suspect it’s going to pretty damn good value.  Of course assuming the venting issue isn’t a problem for you or you’re happy to live with it.
 
 
Pro’s:  High isolation, sound awesome, a paragon of good balance,  good control and lively and exciting.
 
Con’s:  Lack of venting, visually bland, venting issues, 
 
Jul 12, 2011 at 9:01 AM Post #3 of 26
what? noone posted ?
well, i'll be the first. nice review/quick review. liked the photos. they look the same as the cx300, akg 324, ep630 an many others. but im really impressed you find them to have so isolation  "enough to get you hit with a bus you never heard behind you." as i heard those ones dont give THAT isolation.
 
 
Jul 14, 2011 at 2:33 PM Post #6 of 26
from momory the PL-50 were better, barely but then i never bothered to change the tips on them and the stock ones were a rather light fit.  it sealed but not as firmly ad id want if used everyday.
 
BA stuff does usually isolate far better than dynamics because they can be totally sealed.
 
Jul 14, 2011 at 2:52 PM Post #7 of 26


Quote:
from momory the PL-50 were better, barely but then i never bothered to change the tips on them and the stock ones were a rather light fit.  it sealed but not as firmly ad id want if used everyday.
 
BA stuff does usually isolate far better than dynamics because they can be totally sealed.


strange, i dont get that good isolation.... and for me none of the stock tips gave  a good isolation. then i got the  sony hybrids  clones which are slight better
 
interesting. didnt know that. good to know for future iems.
but i'm pretty sure it doesnt apply to all cases
 
 
 
Jul 14, 2011 at 3:15 PM Post #9 of 26


Quote:
you are getting a good seal?
 
and your right it doesnt apply in all cases but as good as.  i cant really think of a BA IEM that doesnt isolate well.  not that isolation is a be all end all thing.

 
 
i think it's the best seal i can get. i MUST put the tips half way in the nozzle to even get isolation
 
 
Jul 15, 2011 at 8:43 AM Post #11 of 26
as shown in the photo (which btw it's not mine)
with the hybrid or the silicone stock tips, i put the end of the tip only up to where the white arrow points
and not up to the end as the red one points. because if i do so, i get none isolation
 

 
 
Jul 16, 2011 at 2:26 PM Post #13 of 26
i tried all the stock ones that came with the pl50 , foam and silicones. only the silicone M and L (not the XL) fit my ears. though, the M didnt give me a good seal and the L kept falling. then i tried the sony hybrids clones, 3 different sizes, and a slight better seal and fit, but as said  before i must use them like in the photo.
then i got some tri-flanges, S and L sizes. and they just dont fit in my ears. so i trimmed them in different ways but only got a good fit but no improvement in seal/isolation.
now, i ordered some meleec m6/a151 bi-flanges. they'd arrive this week or the next one
sorry for the long story.
 
 

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