Originally Posted by plainsong Listening to some stuff I arranged and was there playing, yeah, it comes closer to live than anything else I've heard. If you think about it, that's what they're supposed to do anyway. Anything less, they'd be useless for use by performers.
Well sure...but performers are actually playing the music live at the time. I'm not disputing that they can be used for making live music sound live, I'm disputing that prerecorded music sounds live through them without an umpteen dollar source...or perhaps at all given cd limitations.
Here's issue with the RS-1. They are supposed to be colored and technically not as good as the hd650, but to my ears and the type of music I listen to, they sound more accurate. So I don't know why rock music presented completely flat doesn't sound right but I think the Grado company might have some science behind there sound signature. Maybe it is just magic.
So the problem is that maybe the ue10 and sensas are actually more neutral and it's just not a sound I prefer as much. Based on the ue10 graph, it looks like this might be true. So I never thought they'd sound like the grados but I was hoping I'd enjoy them more for rock.
The other thing to point out is that other graph that was floating around has to be wrong. These two headphones sound too close for that to be true.
Currently I feel both sound almost the same but the ue10 still seems to have sounds that float around. I like that effect. My plan now is to just listen to the ue10 for a while and then try the sensas for a while. I will not use the RS-1 until I can really figure things out with the iems.
Quote:
Originally Posted by plainsong Listening to some stuff I arranged and was there playing, yeah, it comes closer to live than anything else I've heard. If you think about it, that's what they're supposed to do anyway. Anything less, they'd be useless for use by performers.
I'm referring to Sensas. But I'm confused, iamdone, about the comparison to rs-1s. I've not ever heard the rs-1, but a lot of people I know generally regard the sound of the rs-1 to have a coloration. So if that's the case, are you just liking this coloration about all else, and wanting the iem's to share the same characteristic? Do you believe the rs-1 to be completely neutral?
I'm asking because maybe I haven't heard the rs-1s, but a lot of people reading this have, and seeing your views here and how they compare to their views would answer a lot about how these iem's sound. It's always in the little perceptions.
Originally Posted by toaster22 1) now you know why i listen loud - the sensas at lower volumes have zero dynamics. it's like, the louder you make them, the closer you get to the live performance coming out of the iem's...so damn sweet. i was listening to anberlin out of my ipod at full volume, it was orgasmic. it was a little too loud but it was just so real.
I think you've sold on the UEs (if I go that route, I got the um2s because they fix a lot of the ergonomic problems with the etys I had and I hope they'll keep me happy for a while). I want to enjoy this hobby 40 years from now as much as I do today. Once of the (many) reasons I like the HD650 is that it sounds relatively better than a lot of headphones at a lower volume.
If possible, iamdone can you answer a slightly off topic question? I have a PPA on order from JMT specifically for the Sensaphonic's and was wondering how and why you feel it doesn't work as well with them as to your SR-71, and if you are actually able to hear a hiss in the background with the PPA and Sensaphonic. Also thanks for buying both and putting my mind at ease that which ever way I went that I was going to get a great IEM.
Originally Posted by king896 If possible, iamdone can you answer a slightly off topic question? I have a PPA on order from JMT specifically for the Sensaphonic's and was wondering how and why you feel it doesn't work as well with them as to your SR-71, and if you are actually able to hear a hiss in the background with the PPA and Sensaphonic. Also thanks for buying both and putting my mind at ease that which ever way I went that I was going to get a great IEM.
Well my PPA does have hiss with both the sensas and the ue10 at any volume. It's worse with the ue10. I assume this might have something to do with the gain being set too high. I think it's set at 10 and it not socketed, so I can't change it without someone's help. It was orginally setup for use with the hd650. So the hiss issue may not exist on other PPA's. Other than that, they are pretty close in sound. In the past, I may have found the PPA actually sounds better than the SR-71 but it was making too hard to test the ue10 with the hiss. My PPA also has the diamond buffer which really improves the sound. More dynamic and the highs sparkle.
So as long as you have the gain set low, you should hopefully be fine. I don't plan on adjusting the gain since there is no hiss with the RS-1 and I'll only be using the SR-71 with either iem since most of my listening will be at work or on the go.
Ok, that is very helpful. When I purchased it I ask JMT to put in a gain switch which may or may not be possible. I got it fully maxed out with a steps power supply, diamond buffers and stepped attenuators so hopefully it not a similar problem. Also I want to thank you again for buying both IEMs, and I hope you enjoy your new toys.
Originally Posted by king896 Ok, that is very helpful. When I purchased it I ask JMT to put in a gain switch which may or may not be possible. I got it fully maxed out with a steps power supply, diamond buffers and stepped attenuators so hopefully it not a similar problem. Also I want to thank you again for buying both IEMs, and I hope you enjoy your new toys.
I've heard that stepped attenuators can make it hard to get just the right volume with very sensitive headphones. You better make sure the gain is low enough so you have good volume control!
I'm off to bed but I figured I post an update after doing some more listening.
I put on Beck's "Sea Change" and listened to about half of the album with the ue10. I liked what I was hearing. The highs are now clear and can really hear the details. Then I put the sensas in and at first they sound better than the ue10. Just a bit smoother. After listening to a few tracks, the stuffiness is back. They don't sound as crisp as the ue10. They're too smooth for my tastes. I want to take them out and put the ue10 back in. It's only about a 5% difference but I think it's just enough of a difference. I'm still surprised by how close these things sound to each other.
The only other thing is I do hear a little bit of grainy sound that lindrone talked about in the treble on the ue10. Not sure what to make of it. It doesn't bother me but not sure if it's in the recording or something the headphones are doing. I might need to try a different source since both my ipod and computer are using the same apple lossless files. I thought I read someone posting something about having trouble with apple lossless files as well but never heard it before. My whole collection is in that format. I hope it's not an issue.
I was out walking the dog for a few hours with just the ipod and the ue10 and really enjoyed the music. I think I just needed to get away from the RS-1 to get a better idea of how these sound.
I also believe I've made a final decision; the ue10 are still the clear winner based on my last post. When I listen with the sensas to music they actually sound better at first but then the stuffiness shows it's ugly head. Originally when I had them before the ue10 I thought this was due to their earplug nature and not the sound signature. The ue10 does not have that stuffy sound, in fact they seem to improve the longer I listen. The etys also never showed this stuffy quality.
So based on extended listening enjoyment and not trying to figure how one is different from the other I choose the ue10. I also think they sound pretty great straight out of the ipod. You will not have a desire to buy an amp unless you actually spend some time with a good one know the exact improvement. I'd only recommend an amp (definately not required) if you plan to use it for long periods at work or at home but is definately not needed for commuting and on-the-go listening.
iamdone -- I think you've done us all a great service by confirming that iems from both of these excellent companies are great choices. I am not surprised that you would prefer full-sized Grados over the iems -- I think that's to be expected given the tradeoff of miniaturization vs soundstage and the like. But it is great to hear your thoughts -- without any particular ax to grind, you manage to state your preferences without bashing either company. And as always, your comments are thoughtful, honest and balanced.
I would be interested, if you have the time and inclination, to hear about genre comparisons. Is the UE10 the winner for Classical, or jazz vs rock or trance, etc. Or if not "the winner" per se (as it is clear that the Sensas and UE10 are both excellent and rather similar) if you could comment on relative differences, that would be helpful as well.
Thanks again for introducing some sanity into these discussions.
I'll have to say they are about equal. It's basically the same sound signature but the ue10 is crisper and the sensas are just a tad smoother. If you can live without that very top edge, the sensas might be the winner just because they do seem a little be more "musical" than the ue10. It's just I find it has a closed stuffy sound after a few songs so they don't work better on any music for me.
Neither phone is great for rock. They just don't have enough energy to capture it correctly. It's almost like they're too polite and technical about their presentation. The sound signature does work great for electronic music and classical.
So my disappointment with the ue10 is that they really don't do any genre better than the sensas. It just comes down to that little bit of extra crispness. That's it. They are just slightly more enjoyable to me all around.
Quote:
Originally Posted by random person iamdone -- I think you've done us all a great service by confirming that iems from both of these excellent companies are great choices. I am not surprised that you would prefer full-sized Grados over the iems -- I think that's to be expected given the tradeoff of miniaturization vs soundstage and the like. But it is great to hear your thoughts -- without any particular ax to grind, you manage to state your preferences without bashing either company. And as always, your comments are thoughtful, honest and balanced.
I would be interested, if you have the time and inclination, to hear about genre comparisons. Is the UE10 the winner for Classical, or jazz vs rock or trance, etc. Or if not "the winner" per se (as it is clear that the Sensas and UE10 are both excellent and rather similar) if you could comment on relative differences, that would be helpful as well.
Thanks again for introducing some sanity into these discussions.
Originally Posted by iamdone I was out walking the dog for a few hours with just the ipod and the ue10 and really enjoyed the music.
I think i'm going to take the plunge and upgrade from my love-hate relationship with ER4S to UE10 or Sensaphonic.
Can I ask about occlusion effects with UE10 or Sensas. Walking with Etys is not practical as I can hear my footsteps so loudly. How loud is the 'footstep' sound?
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
