***If you find the L3 boring or if you find the treble too rolled off, consider reading this!***
I like trying different ear tips, especially with the L3, which are very tip dependent. Someone recently posted that he was using E-pro horn-shaped ear tips on his Tanchjim Oxygen. It intrigued me b/c they are wide bore tips, and are meant to simulate horn-loaded sound. Honestly, I thought the “horn” shape was a little gimmicky, and that it would prove to be another variation of a wide-bore tip, like the Sedna or Spiral Dot tips. I just got them today, and I have to say, they really have a similar effect to horn loading speaker drivers. Everything is more intense and dynamic sounding. Now, it’s not necessarily better sounding than the Sedna tips, just different. If you’re wanting a smoother, more relaxing experience, these tips are not for you, however, variety is the spice of life.
The set I purchased on Amazon came with three sizes, as opposed to the 6 available sizes with Sedna Earfits. The large size is slightly wider than the largest Sedna. I almost always use the largest tips available, but with the E-pros, I actually like the medium size tips, and insert them deeper. Isolation is similar to the Sednas, and is average for silicone tips. Comfort is excellent. I don’t really like the consistency of the tips. The outer structure and the core are much more pliable than the Sedna tips, with much less structure. This is probably the reason why I can‘t get the large tips to work that well for me. I have to fiddle with them a lot to get them to sit right, and seal well. The medium tips insert and seal much easier.
Now to sound. Often times, horn loading makes the treble much louder, but the bass can seem more recessed relative to the treble. Not so here. The bass sounds a little more focused and dynamic, with a little more punch, but no added mid bass muddiness/boominess. The narrow bore tips I tried, like the Final E tips, did make the bass louder, but also quite a lot boomier. Mids don’t sound recessed either, in fact they sound quite a bit more in-your-face. These tips don’t preferentially boost the upper mids either. Despite the focusing effect, there is no resonant or “honking” effect that I can appreciate. Now treble is where these tips make the most difference. The L3s now have the ability to sound offensive if the recording calls for it. There can be sibilance present now, but it doesn’t make good recordings sound sibilant. The upper treble is MUCH more prominent, with more air, and upper treble harmonics with instruments like cymbals. This may be good or bad, depending on your preferences, but these IEMs really don’t sound rolled off to me at all now, and approach the levels of upper treble of my UE6 Pro, which have the most upper treble of any IEM I own. The sound doesn’t necessarily sound louder overall, just more dynamic and exciting. Regarding imaging, it’s not precise and “locked-in” as with the Sednas, and the soundstage is slightly less wide and deep. One more thing, micro details are not better with these tips, but they are a little easier to notice. They are magnified.
If you can’t tell, I’m excited. Not because these are my new favorite tips for this IEM, but rather b/c it’s almost like I have a new and different sounding IEM. I don’t find the E-pro tips superior to the Sedna tips at all. Again, they’re just different. Do you want a more bombastic sound, or a smoother, more laid back sound?
Anyways, these are my impressions. You may perceive this combo differently, but it may be worth a try.
sounds harsh and lacking a bit bass. I think my foam tips blocked 1 of the pathways in the nozzle thats why it sounded so off.. thx for the tip change tips guys. Tried another cable from kbear also but made sq worse so i guess cable is fine. Gonna wait for my balanced cable to try and see if it makes it pop. Otherwise selling my l3s.
