[shigzeo]

Wonder how this compares to the other electret dynamic hybrid, the akg k340?

Unfortunately I don't have that phone, though appreciated it greatly the only time I heard it for an evaluative time... back in 2006.

 

[gr8soundz]

I've been interested in hybrid headphones since the Dharma D1000 was announced. However, it's price is TOTL (and full electrostats are still pricey plus tied to unique amps) so I kept searching for any possible alternatives.
 
Please note that I have not heard any electrostatic type headphones before these and that the electrostatz portion of these drivers encompasses a fairly small surface area compared to full electrostats. So the overall sound will reflect the hybrid dynamic design with the crossover circuit. Something tells me the Dharma's are much more impressive sounding but its still fun being able to try another unique headphone driver.
 
All of the In2uit, Verizonix, and Mitchell & Johnson models appear to use the same driver and that driver was my main point of interest. The major differences appear to be in build materials and perhaps some driver tuning. 
 
After finding this thread and doing some research I ordered the In2uit T100 from Amazon Japan. Got them for $91 shipped but its nearly doubled in price since for some reason (that's Amazon for you). Figured they were worth an audition at that price; big difference from the $200-500 asking price of the ones recently announced.
http://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/switch-language/product/B00URGZA2U/ref=topnav_switchLang?ie=UTF8&keywords=in2uit&language=en_US&qid=1458411036&sr=8-2
 
The T100s were the only open-back model I found and also have a removable cable. I was hoping the open-back design would mean more soundstage but I haven't tried the closed-back models. I also don't game online so the separate mic input is not needed but still a nice addition.
 
Here are some good pics of T100:
http://www.dhifi.com/index.php/2015/09/25/1281/2/
 
The plastic materials and build quality are decent; about on par with the Monoprice 8323 (both also appear to have some similarities in the headband design). The In2uits feel a bit cheap but are solid enough. Not bad construction but (apparently) nowhere near the wood and metal finish of the higher priced models. Feels like overall pricing should be closer to what I paid though I'm betting the more expensive materials (and boutique pricing) prevent that. Looking at the drivers (you can see the crossover circuit through the blue mesh), I can't imagine they're too expensive to build but it is new tech and sourcing them may not be cheap.
 
The T100 specs are a bit different at 48 ohms impedance and max 35kHz compared to the 32 ohms and 45kHz of the premium models. I hoped they would sound good (or great) and would not be tuned to aggressively toward gaming.
 
Out of the box, comfort is very good and they are fairly light weight. The headband and earpads are well cushioned with pleather but the headband extends out quite a bit at the ends. This makes the T100s look very weird on the head but not a big deal since the open backs limit them to mostly home use anyway.
 
Initial sound was just ok with some heavy bass, recessed treble, and a dark overall sound. After 10+ hours of burn-in, they have opened up a bit and have a decent level of soundstage. However, pairing seems to be key with these hybrid drivers. The T100s sound even darker with my LG V10 (in high impedance mode) but sound quite good with the AK Jr. where the mids are much more forward, the bass is cleaner and more defined, and the treble even has some sparkle at times. None of my other headphones display such duality among those two sources but, with some EQing (which I rarely do), the T100s sounded very good with the V10.
 
I'm still burning them in and will post more info if the sound improves but, thus far, the T100s are far from siblant when it comes to treble. I do wish there was more air and brightness but what's there is very clean sounding. So far, I've been unable to detect any distortion of harshness in their overall sound which is impressive for what I paid for them. I'll keep listening and hope to hear more of what the electrostatic portion of the driver brings to the table compared to full dynamics and planars.
 
EDIT: After a full day of burn-in they sound much more enjoyable. Part of that is no doubt me getting used to them. What I initially heard as not enough brightness in the treble is actually the headphone's very neutral treble level. With a brighter or more neutral source, the high end comes across effortlessly (a word I'd seen before when reading about electrostatics but didn't understand until now). Details that I have to listen closely to hear with other headphones comes through the T100's "electrets" with ease. There's no shortage of clean bass thanks to the dynamic drivers too. Overall, these are quickly becoming one of the more revealing, clear, and less fatiguing headphones I have. They're less forgiving with poor sources but can put out some amazing sound when properly fed.

 

[gr8soundz]

Verisonix is selling a few models on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Verisonix/b/ref=bl_dp_s_web_13965709011?ie=UTF8&node=13965709011&field-lbr_brands_browse-bin=Verisonix
 
There's also a new review of their N500 here:
http://www.headfonia.com/review-verisonix-n500-selected

 

[gr8soundz]

Some more impressions of the T100:
 
Like other types of hybrids I've read about, the crossover isn't always perfect. On some songs a very slight echo may be present for frequencies within the crossover range (about 1000-2000kHz; similar to hearing low-range vocals out of a subwoofer with a high crossover point). Also, similar to what Nathan at Headfonia mentioned about the Verisonix N501, the mid-range occasionally seems to merge into the lower frequencies. However, neither of these takes away from the clarity the electrets can produce nor from the (heavy) bass the dynamic drivers provide.
 
There also appears to be another unique characteristic of these hybrid drivers. Depending on the source volume, the T100s can sound either very dark or somewhat bright. Thus, after trying them with four different sources, I found it difficult to classify their sound signature. I wanted to avoid EQing or simply increasing the volume (louder doesn't necessarily mean better and can be damaging) to get more treble response. But, after increasing the volume just a few ticks on my iBasso R10, the treble from the electrets began to sparkle yet the sound pressure from the dynamic drivers was barely affected. It seems the electrostatic portion of the drivers need a certain level of power to begin to shine. At that key level, small changes in volume greatly affect the highs while keeping the lows at bay. I had to temporarily abandon my aversion to simply "turning it up" in order to hear what the T100 drivers can do.
 
Not sure if this affects the other models with the same type of drivers as (from what I read) it seems the "tuning" is done by selecting and matching the best performing drivers with premium models. That may explain why the frequency ranges and sensitivities are all over the place for each In2uit model. I assumed the enclosures and materials could have greater effect than usual but even models with the same shell and different colors (on Amazon Japan at least) list slightly different specs. Soon, I hope to try a premium model and listen for any audible differences myself.
 

 

[shigzeo]

Great commentary going here. Have you tried both high-end models back to back? And if so, which do you prefer?

 

[gr8soundz]

Thanks. Haven't tried any high-end models yet but will probably do so in the future. Wanted to try the tech first before taking a bigger plunge.
 

 

[shigzeo]

  Thanks. Haven't tried any high-end models yet but will probably do so in the future. Wanted to try the tech first before taking a bigger plunge.
 

I am overhwelmed by the clarity and 'musicality' of the N500.

 

[grizzlybeast]

 

  Thanks. Haven't tried any high-end models yet but will probably do so in the future. Wanted to try the tech first before taking a bigger plunge.
 

I am overhwelmed by the clarity and 'musicality' of the N500.

yeah dude... saw your review. That one is on my shortlist.. I actually think I subscribed to the wrong thread.. I just wonder how tight the bass is. They are the ones that provided drivers for the Dharma correct? the bass was the only thing I found really flawed. Most reviewers found its bass issues unnoticeable but I listen to so much thump that I notice it very easily. 
 
How is the bass on these?

 

[shigzeo]

  yeah dude... saw your review. That one is on my shortlist.. I actually think I subscribed to the wrong thread.. I just wonder how tight the bass is. They are the ones that provided drivers for the Dharma correct? the bass was the only thing I found really flawed. Most reviewers found its bass issues unnoticeable but I listen to so much thump that I notice it very easily. 
 
How is the bass on these?

I haven't heard the Dharma for more than a few seconds and in a crowded environment. My thoughts are pretty unqualified. But the bass on the N500 is similar in quality to the Grado PS1000 but is flatter with regards to the mids and highs, whereas the PS1000 has a semi suckout in the mids, making the bass stand out a bit more in comparison. All together, the N500 is more neutral and the bass is confined to the bass with no bleed. Speedy, wide, with nice fade. It is, in my opinion, brilliant, especially for fast genres, though it is nuanced and detailed enough to tackle more organic music as well. There's nothing chalky or dry about it, so if you prefer the HD600 render, the N500 may not be for you. But otherwise, I think it is brilliant.

 

[gr8soundz]

  yeah dude... saw your review. That one is on my shortlist.. I actually think I subscribed to the wrong thread.. I just wonder how tight the bass is. They are the ones that provided drivers for the Dharma correct? the bass was the only thing I found really flawed. Most reviewers found its bass issues unnoticeable but I listen to so much thump that I notice it very easily. 
 
How is the bass on these?

 
I haven't heard the Dharma for more than a few seconds and in a crowded environment. My thoughts are pretty unqualified. But the bass on the N500 is similar in quality to the Grado PS1000 but is flatter with regards to the mids and highs, whereas the PS1000 has a semi suckout in the mids, making the bass stand out a bit more in comparison. All together, the N500 is more neutral and the bass is confined to the bass with no bleed. Speedy, wide, with nice fade. It is, in my opinion, brilliant, especially for fast genres, though it is nuanced and detailed enough to tackle more organic music as well. There's nothing chalky or dry about it, so if you prefer the HD600 render, the N500 may not be for you. But otherwise, I think it is brilliant.

 
I agree. My ears aren't seasoned enough to explain it as well as shigzeo. Can't say for sure if the bass tuning is the same until I hear the N500 but the T100s have plenty of bass. May need to EQ in some treble depending on the source though (for the T100 at least).

 

[conquerator2]

I love these headphones :3

 

[shigzeo]

   
I agree. My ears aren't seasoned enough to explain it as well as shigzeo. Can't say for sure if the bass tuning is the same until I hear the N500 but the T100s have plenty of bass. May need to EQ in some treble depending on the source though (for the T100 at least).

I'm not sure if my ears are any more seasoned, or my words more clear. I try and I hope it helps. That's it.
 

I love these headphones :3

These look like they really isolate well. Is that the case?

 

[conquerator2]

I'm not sure if my ears are any more seasoned, or my words more clear. I try and I hope it helps. That's it.

These look like they really isolate well. Is that the case?

They di isolate very well.
The earpads are also removable.

 

[gr8soundz]

Just found several Verisonix for sale here too:
http://www.modernspeakers.com/search?type=product&q=verisonix
 
Not familiar with the re-seller though.
 

 

[Beagle]

I have the IN2UIT I500B here. They sounded quite colored at first, but after a few hours of heavy run in with test tones, they smoothed out a bit and became less "stiff" sounding. They are fun, very transparent, and very dynamic. I can still hear a few holes in the FR response though but they do a lot of things very well and there is nothing that is constantly annoying. What is particularly nice about them is the sense of transparency, speed and vibrancy. You can 'see' and hear space around bass notes...no muddiness here. The problem I had with other dual driver headphones (Dharma, oBRAVO HAMT-1) is that the bass sounded separated from the rest of the spectrum. Not with these...everything is well integrated. I'll need more time with them before I can be assured of what I am really hearing and come to any conclusions. But now I wonder what the I501 holds in store....it's twice the price!