[vwinter]

Oh, trust me...there'll be no confusing them.

I've been listening to the H-200 almost exclusively for the last couple of weeks, and it really is worth the hype. It's still a good few tiers below the ASG-2 though, which I found slightly better than the 334.

I sent the H200 to Wayne this morning, so I'll condense my thoughts and post them in a few minutes.

Then this may be the best $300 I ever spent... on something tangible. I'm already thinking of selling my BA200 since I'm frankly having serious Heaven V withdrawal and see the G-2 as a potential upgrade on the BA200 sound anyway. If comfort is the same then it's probably gone.

I'd like to try what all this H-200 love is about but it's seeming less and less necessary with the G-2 coming in. Maybe, I'll just turn more MF-like and be interested in "boutique" stuff more, as Inks put it.

What do you think Eke?

 

[kimvictor]

Quote:

 
Go get'em all Kim!  It really never stop.  There was a time I thought I'm done with buying/upgrading IEMs.  Well I had actually stop buying IEMs for a quite a while after getting the FT334 until these hybrids came around..... I blame the H-200

Me too. I thought I won't buy any more under $500 iems once I got my UERM. Well, apparently not.
Quote:

The answer is quite simple kimvictor: Buy both, the problem with this hobby is like kkcc said, temptation never truly ends. That's why we're all still here. One will experience moments when they think they've found the perfect earphone or set up, only the mind is very powerful and I think we become immune to any given sound after sometime so the craving for different signatures and curiosity runs endlessly. There's no escape I'm afraid, wallets crying everywhere.

Nooooooooo. I have to spend the rest of my life with this kind of feeling? I can't resist the temptation. Thankfully, I have no money in my wallet, so I can't buy anything, for now.

 

[Oof Oink]

Damn, now I'm really tempted to get the 7550. When I demoed all the iems, it was either H-200 or 7550. H-200 was much cheaper in Korea, so I went for it, but now I kind of want 7550. What do I do?

So long as you're here, it'll be MDR-7550 today, and something new the next...

 

[eke2k6]

T-Peos H-200​

 ​

*while you read this, imagine a small smirk on my face as I typed.​

 ​

 ​

 
I really wanted  the H-200 to fail, after my experience with its ancestor.
 
It was my firm belief that the H-100 was a PoS, and I wasn't very shy about letting others know. There were a few members with whom I was rather cool with before the H-100 came along. They ended up liking the H-100, and spread the gospel to a few other members. What ensued after was a hype storm that swallowed me up as well. I spent my hard earned money to buy a set of H-100s, only to find my ears assaulted by what had to be in the top 5 worst headphones I'd ever heard. I tried to be the voice of "reason" on the H-100 thread, but I was shut out for trolling. So, I did what any sensible head-fi'er would do....I bought a pair and sent it out on a loaner tour to members who had massive experience with several iems and headphones. One of the members on the tour owns several unobtainium-fi headphones, amps, and dacs. They all came to the same conclulsion...the H-100 sucked donkey<redacted>. You can read the impressions here:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/636818/t-peos-h-100-hybrid-dynamc-ba-earphone-loaner-tour-impressions
 
 
So imagine my surprise when I heard that T-Peos DARED to make another iem after that Chernobyl type failure of the previous months. I fully expected it to also be a disaster. However, time passed and more positive impressions rolled in, I became more and more curious until I eventually became like this whenever the H-200 thread had a new update...
 

 
 
 
One day, I got a PM from a member who wanted me to try out the H-200, and I (not very) reluctantly obliged. So here is the chronicle of my 2 week adventure with the H-200.
 
 
People say first impressions are everything, and they are right. The H-200's presentation and packing is second to NOBODY. The packaging simply exudes class. I'd post pictures, but they wouldn't do it justice.
 
The catch is that they do exhibit driver flex due to their sealed enclosure, and some people will definitely have fit issues. The below paragraphs only apply if you can get a good fit, and you're ok with driver flex upon insertion.
 
For the sound, the H-200 is just short of a bargain. I'd place it slightly above my beloved GR07, the UM3X, IE8, IE80, and a few others in that range. It actually performs just how I'd expect a $300 iem to, given the influx of uber-valued sub-$200 iems like the GR07 and BA200.
 
 
The overall sound sig is what I'd describe as a slight U shape. The lower mids sit slightly behind the treble and bass, but the upper mids have a slight spike somewhere.
 
The bass packs a good bit of punch, but I was hard pressed to notice any bloom or bloat. What I heard was power and quickness from a very well tune dynamic driver. There is abundant texture, speed, and just overall great PRAT. 
 
The treble is what I'd describe as fun, which I don't think I've ever said about any other iem. It sparkles and shimmers with the track, sometime teetering on the edge of going overboard, but it always seems to catch itself right in the nick of time. it's like playing with a cat or dog that play-bites you, but never enough to make it hurt. I found that it did a great job of keeping the sole positive aspect of the H-100, the clarity, granting contrast between the notes, and giving cymbals great energy and shimmer.
 
Mids are the most interesting part of the sound. I find them to be on the dry side, but not to the point where things get grainy. The lower mids also take somewhat of a back seat while remaining intelligible at all times. Now the upper mids are a mixed bag. The H-100 had a large spike in that region that made female vocals sound like the had been raised in pitch and sung through a tin can. The H-200 has a much smaller spike in this region, and doesn't throw off instrumental and vocal timbre like the H-100 did, thanks to the more fleshed out lower mids. What the H-200's spike does is that it adds this extra touch of sweetness to vocals as they hit those higher notes. Imagine when an opera singer starts climbing the ladder to the point where your toes curl...this is the same effect that this spike has. On the downside, it can become too much when listening to singers who naturally have an elevation in that range, or with records that have boosted that region during mastering.
 
 
Overall, I have to say that I'm quite impressed with the H-200. It hits all the marks where I wanted improvement in the H-100, while retaining its positive aspects.
 
i begrudgingly congratulate T-Peos on a job well done.

 

[ericp10]

I've owned the 7550, and while I did enjoy it's sound signature out of the three Sonys (counting the EX1000 and EX600), it doesn't come anywhere near the transparency, micro details, timbre and clarity of the H-200. I've been wondering about the sound of the RE-400, but would have been surprised if some stated it was better than the H-200. I'm curious about the 334, but I can't see myself paying over $700 for a universal. If I hit the lotto then my thoughts will change, I'm sure. 
 
Now, I've heard the ASG-2 and I own the AS-2. So the ASG-2 is the only universal I've heard that I like better than the H-200, but some may not like the ASG-2 if you enamored with the sound signature of the H-200. The two phones sound nothing alike in sound stage, scale and height of notes, or warmth in sound signature. I think the ASG-2 is going to be a little warmer sounding than the H-200, but notes are going to be wider and taller in the ASG-2. The ASG-2 is going to give just about every recording a live sound. And the ASG-2 is meant to be a monitor first with audiophile leanings, so you're going to sit closer to the stage with the Aurisonics. As micro-details, both handily offer those details, but the ASG-2 is just more natural sounding in drums and acoustic instruments. Strings are fuller in the ASG-2. Again, the only reason I can see someone not liking the ASG-2 is because it's not their sound signature. I love multiple sound signatures, and the ASG-2 and H-200 seem to be my two favorites, but the Aurisonics wins. I guess the Aurisonics to me is what the 334 is to others base on how I've that one compared to the H-200. The H-200 does have treble that stops just short of being too harsh to my ears (as it has bass that stops just short of being basshead level). The ASG-2 will please the basshead, but is of such high quality that you can enjoy it if you're not a basshead. 
 
The only universal that I enjoy almost as much as the H-200 (considering that I think the ASG-2 is better) is the CKS1000. It's great in its own right, but just shy of hitting the level of the H-200 to my ears.

 

[ericp10]

Quote:

Then this may be the best $300 I ever spent... on something tangible. I'm already thinking of selling my BA200 since I'm frankly having serious Heaven V withdrawal and see the G-2 as a potential upgrade on the BA200 sound anyway. If comfort is the same then it's probably gone.

I'd like to try what all this H-200 love is about but it's seeming less and less necessary with the G-2 coming in. Maybe, I'll just turn more MF-like and be interested in "boutique" stuff more, as Inks put it.

What do you think Eke?

 
The H-200 is more of an upgrade to the BA200. Again, the ASG-2 sound signature and the H-200 sound signature are nothing alike at all.

 

[waynes world]

Quote:

Nooooooooo. I have to spend the rest of my life with this kind of feeling? I can't resist the temptation. Thankfully, I have no money in my wallet, so I can't buy anything, for now.

 
That's probably the only way it's ever going to stop for me as well lol. I could hallucinate all I want, imaging that the H-200's will be the end-all for me. But sadly that probably will not be the case, especially if I keep reading posts by people with ASG-2 etc 

 

[kimvictor]

Quote:

I've owned the 7550, and while I did enjoy it's sound signature out of the three Sonys (counting the EX1000 and EX600), it doesn't come anywhere near the transparency, micro details, timbre and clarity of the H-200. I've been wondering about the sound of the RE-400, but would have been surprised if some stated it was better than the H-200. I'm curious about the 334, but I can't see myself paying over $700 for a universal. If I hit the lotto then my thoughts will change, I'm sure. 
 
Now, I've heard the ASG-2 and I own the AS-2. So the ASG-2 is the only universal I've heard that I like better than the H-200, but some may not like the ASG-2 if you enamored with the sound signature of the H-200. The two phones sound nothing alike in sound stage, scale and height of notes, or warmth in sound signature. I think the ASG-2 is going to be a little warmer sounding than the H-200, but notes are going to be wider and taller in the ASG-2. The ASG-2 is going to give just about every recording a live sound. And the ASG-2 is meant to be a monitor first with audiophile leanings, so you're going to sit closer to the stage with the Aurisonics. As micro-details, both handily offer those details, but the ASG-2 is just more natural sounding in drums and acoustic instruments. Strings are fuller in the ASG-2. Again, the only reason I can see someone not liking the ASG-2 is because it's not their sound signature. I love multiple sound signatures, and the ASG-2 and H-200 seem to be my two favorites, but the Aurisonics wins. I guess the Aurisonics to me is what the 334 is to others base on how I've that one compared to the H-200. The H-200 does have treble that stops just short of being too harsh to my ears (as it has bass that stops just short of being basshead level). The ASG-2 will please the basshead, but is of such high quality that you can enjoy it if you're not a basshead. 
 
The only universal that I enjoy almost as much as the H-200 (considering that I think the ASG-2 is better) is the CKS1000. It's great in its own right, but just shy of hitting the level of the H-200 to my ears.

Well, I personally thought the they were pretty close in clarity. Anyways, I personally think that H-200 might have tad too much bass for me.

 

[waynes world]

Quote:

The H-200 does have treble that stops just short of being too harsh to my ears (as it has bass that stops just short of being basshead level). The ASG-2 will please the basshead, but is of such high quality that you can enjoy it if you're not a basshead. 
 

 
Oh oh - that sounds like trouble to my somewhat treble sensitive ears. Hope not! 
 

The only universal that I enjoy almost as much as the H-200 (considering that I think the ASG-2 is better) is the CKS1000. It's great in its own right, but just shy of hitting the level of the H-200 to my ears.

 
Glad you're still thinking highly of the 1K's. I think I'm going to enjoy having both!
 

 

[ericp10]

Off topic a little bit, but .....
 
 
 
R.I.P. Tony Soprano (the actor who played him died)

 

[UnityIsPower]

OMG! That gif is adorable!! What was the review about again?

 

[Oof Oink]

OMG! That gif is adorable!! What was the review about again?

Cats: The Musical.

@eke2k6: that was a nice write-up.

 

[vwinter]

The H-200 is more of an upgrade to the BA200. Again, the ASG-2 sound signature and the H-200 sound signature are nothing alike at all.

Even with the elevated treble? The BA200 is pretty laid back there to me...

 

[kkcc]

 
Oh, trust me...there'll be no confusing them.
 
I've been listening to the H-200 almost exclusively for the last couple of weeks, and it really is worth the hype. It's still a good few tiers below the ASG-2 though, which I found slightly better than the 334.
 
I sent the H200 to Wayne this morning, so I'll condense my thoughts and post them in a few minutes.

 
Eke I sure hope that is the case. I had not bought any IEM without demo'ing for a looooong time but I jumped on the ASG-2 based largely on your review, and info from others on that comparison thread. Having said that I do have a lot of faith in Dale and team that I am even paying much more (enough to get a great IEM like the H-200!) for aesthetic options. Will post my impression and comparison to 334/1plus2/RDB+ once I received them.

And thanks for the review of H-200 you posted. While I wasn't yet registered on HF at the time I also demo'ed the H-100 and didn't find it as bad as you did. The clarify/separation could be better, but the recessed mids imho was a product of it not being amp'ed. The H-100 mids improved a lot with IPC+Arrow. H-200 is an overall improvement, so much so I had to get one myself even I was deciding on the "high-ends": RDB+, 1plus2, and ASG-2. H-200 also scale quite well with better source. For example it sounded significantly better out of the AK120 or HM901 over a IPC.

 

[Tehol]

Quote:

Well, I personally thought the they were pretty close in clarity. Anyways, I personally think that H-200 might have tad too much bass for me.

I found that to be the case initially but that did settle down for me after a few dozen hours.  Now a strong bass presence only seems to be there when it's supposed to.