triple.fi 10 vs ath-m50 vs re-zero vs creative aurvana lives
Jan 31, 2012 at 5:19 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 19
cardboardhome

cardboardhome

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I have $100 to spend and am comparing:
triplefi 10 (might be too expensive for me)
re-zero (currently someone is willing to sell for $75)
ath-m50 (around $110)
Creative Aurvana lives ($60, I would wait until the price drops)
 
I am looking at portability a bit, so that's why I'm considering the IEMS. However, I have also heard that the triplefi's might be even better than the m50s. But I am looking at durability and fit. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Okay I'm stuck between ultimate ears, creative Aurvana Lives, and Grado sr 60i/80i. If I decide to get full-size headphones instead of the ultimate ears triple.fi 10s, I will try to get a pair of Grados, sr60i/80i (whichever I can afford) and a pair of creative Aurvana lives. Also, I'm looking to spend about $100 total, so if I get two headphones, I probably have to get them used.
 
I don't want only a pair of open-ear headphones either, because I will be using them in public along with at home, so I need them to be at least semi-portable. Feel free to suggest me other headphones I haven't listed, over-ear (open or closed) or IEMS. 
 
 
Basically what I'm asking is,
1. Is there a big enough difference between the triple.fi 10s and the other two over-ear headphones?
2. And, how much sound do the Grado sr60i/80i leak out since they are open ear, and is there anyway to block it?
3. Whats the difference between the grados?
4. Whats the difference between creative aurvana lives and grado sr 60i/80i? Sorry for the redundancy.
 
Also, now looking at 

[size=medium] Denon AH-D1100[/size]

 
Jan 31, 2012 at 5:37 PM Post #2 of 19
The Grado headphones leak a bit of sound and anyone within 2-3ft will be able to hear your music.  They are also not the most comfortable headphone.  They do excel well at rock and metal so if you listen to a ton of that genre I say the SR-60 will serve you well.  The Creative Aurvana Live is a great sounding headphones for the price.  I found mine for $60 and they compete nicely with the pair of Audio Technica ATH-M50's I have.
 
Below are some graphs so you can compare the Grado SR-60i to the Creative Aurvana Live.
 
Creative Aurvana Live
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/CreativeAurvana.pdf
 
Grado SR-60i
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/GradoSR60i.pdf
 
The major differences regarding the frequency response is that the Creative headphones extend much better into the bass while the Grado SR-60i has a big spike at 2kHz which is audibly piercing at times.  The Creative is also way more comfortable.
 
I would not hesitate on the Creative Aurvana Live.  Here is Tyll Hertsen's review:
 
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/creative-aurvana-live-classic-reincarnate
 
Jan 31, 2012 at 8:52 PM Post #4 of 19
The Creatives are very well-known for beign value kings, but the TF10 also has a huge following. I'd go Creative simply because I'm more of a full-size person, but the TF10s are great in-ears among the cheaper-end crowd.
 
Jan 31, 2012 at 9:00 PM Post #5 of 19
Okay, so what about the Denon's compared to the Creatives? I have a pair of monster turbines, but I do share them. Basically, how large is the difference between the triple.fi 10s, denon's and creatives? 
 
Thanks guys, it really helps. 
 
Feb 2, 2012 at 5:08 PM Post #6 of 19
The D1100 is a bass monster and really unbalanced sounding.  The drivers in the Creative and D1100 are actually the same if I am not mistaken, but the implementation is different.
 
I still vote Creatives, but I have not heard the Triple Fi.
 
Feb 2, 2012 at 6:51 PM Post #7 of 19
I haven't heard the 1100's.  The overwhelming number of reviews which say they're too bass-heavy scares me away. :wink:
Their predecessors, the 1001's, were very highly regarded.
 
I bought a pair of Creative Aurvana's recently, and must say I was disappointed.
The sound lacked clarity, and the build quality wasn't great.
Even though I'd paid only $59.00 brand new, I returned them.
 
 
For closed headphones under $100.00, I have no issue whatsoever recommending the Sony MDR-7506
(the 'professional' version of the MDR-V6 - many say they're essentially the same, with the only differences
being the price and the gold plug, but IMO the 7506 sounds slightly better.)
 
These are well made, good sounding, time tested phones used by musicians and studios world wide
They have literally thousands and thousands of positive reviews over many years
 
Also, the price of the Audio Technica ATH-M50 fluctuates greatly, and at times gets to the $119 range.
Though currently slightly out of favor here on HF after being the 'go-to' phone (in its price range) for several months,
at that price they're a great deal. 
 
 
 
Feb 4, 2012 at 1:21 PM Post #12 of 19


Quote:
cardboardhome said:
I think I'm going to save up for the m50s. What price do you think I would be able to buy these for? 
Thanks guys. 
Click to expand...


 
If you can find them for $120 (try B&H, Guitar Center, and Amazon), go for them with no regrets. Above that, they're a bit overpriced.
 
Mar 4, 2012 at 9:55 PM Post #14 of 19
$100 is pretty good for a set of TripleFis. Be warned, the fit can be a rock if you're amongst the unlucky. IMO, they outclass the M50's for balance and detail. I'd describe their sound as "everything is where it should be and what it should sound like".  Many say the TF10 midrange is recessed but there's also the same argument for the M50s. I'd say it simply sounds clear and detailed when you power them properly. Their impedance reaches as high as 64.5 ohms, which is about the same as the RE-ZERO, if I'm not mistaken. You may want to get a Jaben cable or something though, the one that comes with it is...Well, no other way to put it, RUBBISH.
 
Mar 4, 2012 at 10:17 PM Post #15 of 19
I had a the Triple.Fi 10 for a short while, spent a few hours on them, wasn't impressed that much. The fit was terrible, and the build quality is really questionable. Instead I got the M-80, and that's a much better pair of headphones in every way. To my ears, they're better than CAL! (Which I own), M-50(I had), and of course, the Triple.Fi
 
I never heard the RE-0, but that one got build quality issue too from what I've read. It may sound great to you though, I was considering it myself, but the M-80's are fantastic now as my portable cans.
 
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