The discovery thread!

[NymPHONOmaniac]

Cool! Just getting a feel perhaps for some of the traits like the stage size you talked about. Not interested in the VS3 but might give Vsonic another shot with the VS7.

yeah the stage is quite gigantic....as well as the earphones housing for a single Dynamic! Housing is bigger than CCA c10 for example. (bigger than KS3 too)

 

[jon parker]

A friend of mine a

A friend of mine are interested in these are you think they are better than tin t3 or ikko oh 1 he cant decide between these 3

Its impossible to say as I don't know his source, preferences, what he is looking for
All i would say is for him to think about what is most important for him in terms of sound signature. Very roughly speaking, if a smooth more neutral well balanced signature is important for him then maybe look to the T3 (although the T2 is very good in this regard - And would by far be the best value for money) - If (from what I have heard) details and the highs are more important he could look to the Ikko OH 1
At this time I would not recommend the IE40
Hope that helps

 

[jon parker]

One more thing to add about the Sennheiser IE40 - It is very tip and source dependant
I tried Them on the Shanling M2s and they sounded truly dreadful! A particularly inorganic splashy mess - They sounded ok on the DX150 though

 

[jant71]

yeah the stage is quite gigantic....as well as the earphones housing for a single Dynamic! Housing is bigger than CCA c10 for example. (bigger than KS3 too)

That is why they call them Iceberg series. If they were smaller they would have called them ice cube or ice chunk.

Stage in an earphone is one of more important likes. A couple of my all time favorites have been two of the biggest I have heard even if one did have a treble roll and the other was cheaper so it lack higher resolution and detail vs. more expensive stuff.

 

[Otto Motor]

Sennheiser IE40 Pro

So had a good hour with them. Out of the box, quite good. From one point of view they dont appear to do a lot wrong BUT
there is some warmth missing in the mids which can leave some male vocals sounding a bit thin and female vocals sounding a bit boxy
and plasticy. In this sense they are not sounding natural.
- However when I remember that they are 'Monitor IEM's' and not 'Reference' then I feel a bit more forgiving of them

The tips selection is pathetic and frankly an insult - You get 4 sets - 1 of which is large, the other 3 small and small-medium.!!
If the different stem colours are indicating a different type of tips then again this is not good as you can only really use the version
that physically fits you
After 5 seconds with the single large tips though I threw them back in box and put a pair of spin tips on them - Huge improvement !
Along with lacking some needed warmth mids the other characteristics I can hear are: Think of a winters morning - clean, crisp, clear
Bass is good - sub bass is there but sounds weirdly the same as the bass - It doesn't seem to have much power to rumble

Sibilance - Yes! it is there but its a bit odd - It seems to present only the top 20% of the highest frequency of any sibilance. So it sounds
like the IEM's cut out almost all of any sibilance but forget a tiny bit at the top. Wont be a problem for most though as it comes and goes
fairly quickly is quite high up in the far reaches of sibilance

isolation and fit are both top notch. very good

Anyway, its early days. I will probably keep them for work
Some of the negative aspects of them Ive heard before and may well buff out with some time *coughs* burn in
Also, Ive yet to try other DAPs and tips (Only tried thus far Spintips on iBasso DX150 and Mac)
They're not bad. i am cautiously optamistic

Siblilance: They don't have a peak below 12-15 kHz, but this high double peak is pretty steep -- steeper than the competition's. I don't hear this "upper sibilance" but maybe my hearing needs to be checked. Couldn't find any sibilance in voices...compared and compared and identified the Focal Sphear as culprits.

Tips: top notch Sennheiser tips, great thick rubber. Isolate very well for me. Same as in previous models.

Mids: I find the mids quite full and rich, also compared to the competition. They are a bit closer to neutral than in previous Senns models as they don't have that monster mid to upper bass smudging in. These Senns are the least bassy I am aware of and they lack the Sennheiser veil and that dark timbre. But they are still warm and quite off neutral...the Brainwavz B200 v1. are much cooler in the mids. Could it be that your spin tips have introduced that "plasticky" sound?

Source dependency: Will have to check. Work fine on my iphone SE.

Burn-in: good luck.

I find these are the most homogenous single DDs I know (all below $200) and yet are they quite dynamic.

 

[jon parker]

Siblilance: They don't have a peak below 12-15 kHz, but this high double peak is pretty steep -- steeper than the competition's. I don't hear this "upper sibilance" but maybe my hearing needs to be checked. Couldn't find any sibilance in voices...compared and compared and identified the Focal Sphear as culprits.

Tips: top notch Sennheiser tips, great thick rubber. Isolate very well for me. Same as in previous models.

Mids: I find the mids quite full and rich, also compared to the competition. They are a bit closer to neutral than in previous Senns models as they don't have that monster mid to upper bass smudging in. These Senns are the least bassy I am aware of and they lack the Sennheiser veil and that dark timbre. But they are still warm and quite off neutral...the Brainwavz B200 v1. are much cooler in the mids. Could it be that your spin tips have introduce that "plasticky" sound?

Source dependency: Will have to check. Work fine on my iphone SE.

Burn-in: good luck.

I find these are the most homogenous single DDs I know (all below $200) and yet are they quite dynamic.

Thanks Otto - you make some interesting and useful points.
I work for a living with audio, specifically with vocals so certain qualities around sibilance and mids tend to be a lot more relevant for me BUT as I say, most people it won't trouble
Superficially they are ok. I agree with you for the most part But maybe for those with a more critical ear some issues will be there
Thanks for your good luck wishes. Had a lot of luck in relation to burn in *ducks*

Put it this way. In the mid 1980's the engineers at Sennheiser spent time trying to develop headphones that sounded like music sounds 'naturally'
Compared to the timbre of some of the headphones they made during that period then the IE40's make my heart bleed with sadness - However
compared to the often bright, clear, punchy somewhat artificial but clinically correct sounding tuning most companies create today...then they are better than most
Its all relative.
As i mention, I still have some fun tip rolling to do

EDIT: I should add : As well for pleasure, I bought the IE40 'Pro' for professional work. I think in large this is were the most of my disappointment is currently coming from. They are not really as suitable [as they should be] -as off last listen- for this purpose. I was hoping for more a more tonaly correct sound. Not to say they are 'bad' - They are fine. Its great people are enjoying them. Its just that perhaps for a more seasoned / mature listener they may in SOME ways disappoint...a bit

 

[audio123]

My full review on the Alpha & Delta KS3, now live on Indiegogo. The KS3 is musical and the overall presentation is soothing to listen to. Less is more with only a 6mm dynamic driver being used. Enjoy & Happy Listening, as always!

One more thing to add about the Sennheiser IE40 - It is very tip and source dependant
I tried Them on the Shanling M2s and they sounded truly dreadful! A particularly inorganic splashy mess - They sounded ok on the DX150 though

The Sennheiser IE40 Pro definitely scales with source. I reviewed the IE40 Pro a while back. Vocals not the most engaging but the bass is punchy and treble is sparkly.

 

[Otto Motor]

Thanks Otto - you make some interesting and useful points.
I work for a living with audio, specifically with vocals so certain qualities around sibilance and mids tend to be a lot more relevant for me BUT as I say, most people it won't trouble
Superficially they are ok. I agree with you for the most part But maybe for those with a more critical ear some issues will be there
Thanks for your good luck wishes. Had a lot of luck in relation to burn in *ducks*

Put it this way. In the mid 1980's the engineers at Sennheiser spent time trying to develop headphones that sounded like music sounds 'naturally'
Compared to the timbre of some of the headphones they made during that period then the IE40's make my heart bleed with sadness - However
compared to the often bright, clear, punchy somewhat artificial but clinically correct sounding tuning most companies create today...then they are better than most
Its all relative.
As i mention, I still have some fun tip rolling to do

EDIT: I should add : As well for pleasure, I bought the IE40 'Pro' for professional work. I think in large this is were the most of my disappointment is currently coming from. They are not really as suitable [as they should be] -as off last listen- for this purpose. I was hoping for more a more tonaly correct sound. Not to say they are 'bad' - They are fine. Its great people are enjoying them. Its just that perhaps for a more seasoned / mature listener they may in SOME ways disappoint...a bit

Jon,
You appear to have an interesting professional background, better ears than mine, and it would be fun sitting down with you over a beer discussing the nitty gritty. I am relatively new to this...and my references are mainly Chifi earphones or older Senns iems that, in most cases, have some quirks.

These are $99 earphones. I find the ergonomics great, the plastics ok (typical Sennheiser), and they are much better sounding than the veiled Momentum in-ear and CX 5.00. It really depends on the reference frame used as no budget earphone will be perfect and there must be room for the ie400 and ie500. The question is what can one expect at this price and what are the better alternatives -- the latter would be interesting to know! I use such earphones on the go, on the bus, etc. and here the overall image counts and not so much the hiss in the cymbals. At home, I got the HD600, which certainly do sound like music.

Nevertheless, I find these ie40 Pro tonally quite ok and wonder inhowfar I am listening wrong?

You mentioned the JVC FD01 which I wished I knew but they have a great reputation for their timbre. We are dealing here at Head-Fi mainly with hybrids and BAs many of which do not sound natural imo...which is often not considered in the discussion as people tend to mainly listen to music without a defined timbre (rock, electronic...as opposed to naturally/self amplified instruments such as acoustic guitars or oboes). What is the tonal accuracy of Metallica's rhythm guitar?

So the paradox is that I find that most iems I know lack tonal accuracy, but I find these rather good. Whereas you don't...it really must come down to our differing reference frames. By the way, I don't claim in any way to be correct -- I am open and there is always room to learn.

Now I am interested in your opinion on other $100-200: may be a slaughter !

P.S. Where do you get these cute little green emojis from...cannot find them...and, excuse my nativity, what do they indicate?

 

[kova4a]

Thanks Otto - you make some interesting and useful points.
I work for a living with audio, specifically with vocals so certain qualities around sibilance and mids tend to be a lot more relevant for me BUT as I say, most people it won't trouble
Superficially they are ok. I agree with you for the most part But maybe for those with a more critical ear some issues will be there
Thanks for your good luck wishes. Had a lot of luck in relation to burn in *ducks*

Put it this way. In the mid 1980's the engineers at Sennheiser spent time trying to develop headphones that sounded like music sounds 'naturally'
Compared to the timbre of some of the headphones they made during that period then the IE40's make my heart bleed with sadness - However
compared to the often bright, clear, punchy somewhat artificial but clinically correct sounding tuning most companies create today...then they are better than most
Its all relative.
As i mention, I still have some fun tip rolling to do

EDIT: I should add : As well for pleasure, I bought the IE40 'Pro' for professional work. I think in large this is were the most of my disappointment is currently coming from. They are not really as suitable [as they should be] -as off last listen- for this purpose. I was hoping for more a more tonaly correct sound. Not to say they are 'bad' - They are fine. Its great people are enjoying them. Its just that perhaps for a more seasoned / mature listener they may in SOME ways disappoint...a bit

Well, I also wouldn't call the ie40pro sibilance prone but it is close to being too treble happy. And speaking of Sennheiser's history, they might have produced quite the cans through the years, but regarding iems and the entry and mid-fi models of the IE series in particular, the ie40 pro is a change in the right direction, both in sound and pricing IMO. Hell, just a couple of years ago they would have priced something like it at $200+. With that said, while being pretty good and competent performer, if I was buying an iem for professional use, it probably wouldn't be my first choice. Actually, no $100 iem would be my first choice or at least I wouldn't have high expectations. But hey, you could do much much worse, and not that much better at this price range, so you shouldn't be too disappointed. Try it out with foam tips or sony hybrids or something in that line, but you can also sell it and try something else.
Btw, the sony xba n3 is quite tonally accurate in the sub-$300 range.

 

[chinerino]

Any thoughts on HE150 Pro?

 

[B9Scrambler]

Rediscovering old gear: JVC FX3X and Samsung YP-K5



Forgot how wicked the K5 was with it's touch based interface that is actually quite responsive, though slow in places by today's standards. Regardless, the sound quality is much cleaner than I was expecting with no roll off at either end and a good bit of well-controlled detail. It's very powerful too, likely a necessity to power the slide out speakers. Too bad it only works while plugged in and the lower screen light has dimmed, else I would absolutely roll the K5 back into my dap rotation.

FX3X is no slouch either. Would still pay full price for them today. Contain nearly everything that was so good about the FXT90 but with a heavy helping of low end for good measure. They more than hold their own against modern gear.

That was a fun trip down memory lane.

 

[FreeWheelinAudioLuv]

I tip rolled the Moondrop Kanas Pro's, as the stock tips are garbage, and the way the tip stop is designed on the nozzle, other tips tended to slip down, I was using the JVC spiral dot tips, and this was the reference I had for the sound when I posted earlier my OOTB thoughts. Then I found my old Tennmak Crazy Cello tips, and WOOO WEEE what a difference tips can make. The treble started coming through much clearer, and the stage was widened. The mids are much more forward, with male and female vocals being a highlight of the sound. The bass is still very pronounced and fast. I'm currently listening to the hi res Rush - Moving Pictures 5.1 recording, and I got a smile on my face. The biggest issue for me was the toned down or smoothed out treble, but these tips really brought them out and really allowed the sound to shine through much more than the spiral dot tips. I would still rank the IE800 #1, and i'd say the JVC FW01 #2 by a hair due to similar sonic features to the MKP, but the JVC has more natural timbre and better imaging, so #2, then the Kanas Pro would sit a close #3 in the pantheon. Btw, this Plenue J is just insane. The sound is top notch, hi definition, and able to handle any type of hi res file I feed it, and it's got so many great sound and EQ features. I'm diggin' it.

 

[Otto Motor]

That graph look really nice... tho, isn`t mid-bass tad too prominent relative to sub-bass and 3-5kHz range?

Btw, have You got Your hands/ears on Kanas Pro? If You get chance, try it. I suspect signature won`t be up Your alley but curious what Your would write about it honestly

I just ordered one. As to the modded iBasso IT01...after removing the grilles, that additional treble peak was too much for me. The filters will go on again.

 

[CoiL]

I tip rolled the Moondrop Kanas Pro's, as the stock tips are garbage, and the way the tip stop is designed on the nozzle, other tips tended to slip down, I was using the JVC spiral dot tips, and this was the reference I had for the sound when I posted earlier my OOTB thoughts. Then I found my old Tennmak Crazy Cello tips, and WOOO WEEE what a difference tips can make. The treble started coming through much clearer, and the stage was widened. The mids are much more forward, with male and female vocals being a highlight of the sound. The bass is still very pronounced and fast. I'm currently listening to the hi res Rush - Moving Pictures 5.1 recording, and I got a smile on my face. The biggest issue for me was the toned down or smoothed out treble, but these tips really brought them out and really allowed the sound to shine through much more than the spiral dot tips. I would still rank the IE800 #1, and i'd say the JVC FW01 #2 by a hair due to similar sonic features to the MKP, but the JVC has more natural timbre and better imaging, so #2, then the Kanas Pro would sit a close #3 in the pantheon. Btw, this Plenue J is just insane. The sound is top notch, hi definition, and able to handle any type of hi res file I feed it, and it's got so many great sound and EQ features. I'm diggin' it.

You should post more detailed impressions in Moondrop thread also and listen what we are talking about tips etc. affecting KPE sound.
Btw, KPE is crazy responsive to EQ and You should get ALL the "problems" corrected for Your personal hearing&gear.
"Toned-down" treble is KPE sound signature following Harman target curve - and I personally like it as I`m sensitive to that region that has been "toned-down".
Anyway, happy hours of listening!

 

[jon parker]

Well, I also wouldn't call the ie40pro sibilance prone but it is close to being too treble happy. And speaking of Sennheiser's history, they might have produced quite the cans through the years, but regarding iems and the entry and mid-fi models of the IE series in particular, the ie40 pro is a change in the right direction, both in sound and pricing IMO. Hell, just a couple of years ago they would have priced something like it at $200+. With that said, while being pretty good and competent performer, if I was buying an iem for professional use, it probably wouldn't be my first choice. Actually, no $100 iem would be my first choice or at least I wouldn't have high expectations. But hey, you could do much much worse, and not that much better at this price range, so you shouldn't be too disappointed. Try it out with foam tips or sony hybrids or something in that line, but you can also sell it and try something else.
Btw, the sony xba n3 is quite tonally accurate in the sub-$300 range.

Thanks buddy
thanks for good tip on the Sony's (pun intended)
I have plenty of suitable headphones and IEM's for work, it was more from reading reviews that I thought they would be better than they were. I am eternally optimistic.
But to be fair I do have quite specific 'needs' and desires "for the money' Yes, they have one well here.
I agree, its about time some of these big name companies stopped ripping everyone off with their inflated prices. Its not fair that the vast masses should suffer just because a very small handful can and do afford to pay stupid money for headphones
I read a brilliant comment yesterday (more or less that...)- 'Vintage' gear sounds warmer and truer but modern gear is technically cleaner, clearer and hits harder.
Modern gear can often have a 'wow' effect on first listen but after time it just gets tiring.
Put a top vintage headphone through a nice tube amp and you will have a true companion for life