[Anisaz]

Hi all,
 
I got a pair of these and to cut the story short I am disappointed. I am not an audiophile so I don't know the jargon for describing sound but I'll try to describe my impressions as best I can in everyday language.
 
My previous pair were Sennheiser IE4s and I really liked their sound. They had at the same time a punchy and crisp yet enveloping bass and great clarity. I could hear every vibration in string instruments and cymbals for example and lots of subtle details.
 
However given that the model was over 10 years old AFAIK I figured technology should have improved and went for a newer model. After going through some reviews I got the GR06s. I received them a few days ago and they are not what I had expected. Compared to the IE4s they sound muffled and lack both bass punchiness and clarity. The vibrancy of guitars I knew from before is not there. It sounds like I'm hearing them through a piece of cloth that dampens their sparkle. They also sound kind of cramped for lack of a better word and a rumbling bass overpowers the rest of the range.
 
I've read similar complaints in this thread. Is this really how they sound? Did I get a dud pair? Are they supposed to be adjusted through the equalizer?
 
If yes, can you recommend a pair closer to the sound style of the Sennheiser IE4 and under $100 (I can order from Hong Kong)? I should mention that reliability and sturdiness is a basic consideration. I use them almost daily when commuting and I don't want to risk sending them overseas for servicing.

 

[Tom22]

  Hi all,
 
I got a pair of these and to cut the story short I am disappointed. I am not an audiophile so I don't know the jargon for describing sound but I'll try to describe my impressions as best I can in everyday language.
 
My previous pair were Sennheiser IE4s and I really liked their sound. They had at the same time a punchy and crisp yet enveloping bass and great clarity. I could hear every vibration in string instruments and cymbals for example and lots of subtle details.
 
However given that the model was over 10 years old AFAIK I figured technology should have improved and went for a newer model. After going through some reviews I got the GR06s. I received them a few days ago and they are not what I had expected. Compared to the IE4s they sound muffled and lack both bass punchiness and clarity. The vibrancy of guitars I knew from before is not there. It sounds like I'm hearing them through a piece of cloth that dampens their sparkle. They also sound kind of cramped for lack of a better word and a rumbling bass overpowers the rest of the range.
 
I've read similar complaints in this thread. Is this really how they sound? Did I get a dud pair? Are they supposed to be adjusted through the equalizer?
 
If yes, can you recommend a pair closer to the sound style of the Sennheiser IE4 and under $100 (I can order from Hong Kong)? I should mention that reliability and sturdiness is a basic consideration. I use them almost daily when commuting and I don't want to risk sending them overseas for servicing.

have you tried all the ear tips? it might be your not getting the right fit, because these are a bit different in terms of fit and shape than traditional earphones so you might have to use a different size ? usual

 

[mark2410]

not to denigrate sennheiser but those will be very V shaped so by punch i presume you mean massive bass and by clairity you mean hard aggressive treble.
 
what i dont get is you saying there is a rumbling bass that overpowers everything else.   that is certainly not how they should be.

 

[Anisaz]

Thanks for the tip, Tom22, changing the eartips definitely made a difference in the sound. I must not have had good fit with the ones I first tried, because when I switched to a larger size in the silicon-only tips, the sound turned from bad to mediocre. I tried the foam tips and they pumped up the bass too much for my taste, and finally I found the sweet spot with the foam-filled silicone tips.

The sound is much clearer now and with a nice punch in the bass, but I still don't find the same detail I had with the Sennheisers. The overall sound however is consistent now with what reviews and people are saying. Good earphones, just a bit less detailed and darker than I prefer. Are the GR07 Classic more detailed?

Mark, I had the overpowering bass impression with the foam tips and another problem was that I was using an equalizer preset on my Cowon S9 that further emphasized the bass. Now I've found that they sound best without the BBE processing on my S9, the first earphones I've had for which this is true.

As I said, I'm not very discerning when it comes to sound so it's quite possible that my preferences are crude but I distinctly remember hearing details on my old Sennheisers that are missing here, listening to the same tracks. If this is something that can be fixed through an equalizer, all the better.

 

[mark2410]

ahh foam tips, yes they boost up the low end and mute the highs a little.
 
yes the gr07 is much cleaner and is still one of the very best IEMs you can get for the money.  the gr07 is superb.  though..... the GR04 gets you most of the way to the 7 but at a tiny fraction of its cost.  its lower numbered name is misleading as its only a little ibt below the 7 and quite a bit above the 6.  plus when the 4 came out it was priced waaay more than it is today.
 
as for EQ, well i dont really like to EQ things.  if you are going to EQ then try to do it by reducing not by raising.  so if you want more bass do it by reducing everything else.  some things if added just make clipping an issue. 
 
as for still feeling the ness were giving you clearer, id suggest that due to the senns having a more bighty and more present treble.  that can easily make it feel like its being more clear than it strictly is so maybe you would prefer a bit of a treble boost?  its worth giving a try to see if you like it more that way.

 

[Tom22]

Thanks for the tip, Tom22, changing the eartips definitely made a difference in the sound. I must not have had good fit with the ones I first tried, because when I switched to a larger size in the silicon-only tips, the sound turned from bad to mediocre. I tried the foam tips and they pumped up the bass too much for my taste, and finally I found the sweet spot with the foam-filled silicone tips.

The sound is much clearer now and with a nice punch in the bass, but I still don't find the same detail I had with the Sennheisers. The overall sound however is consistent now with what reviews and people are saying. Good earphones, just a bit less detailed and darker than I prefer. Are the GR07 Classic more detailed?

Mark, I had the overpowering bass impression with the foam tips and another problem was that I was using an equalizer preset on my Cowon S9 that further emphasized the bass. Now I've found that they sound best without the BBE processing on my S9, the first earphones I've had for which this is true.

As I said, I'm not very discerning when it comes to sound so it's quite possible that my preferences are crude but I distinctly remember hearing details on my old Sennheisers that are missing here, listening to the same tracks. If this is something that can be fixed through an equalizer, all the better.

i agree with mark, the foams do bump up the bass and roll of the treble a bit if thats to your liking by all means, i know many people preferring the use the foams (whether its for sound or for comfort)

  ahh foam tips, yes they boost up the low end and mute the highs a little.
 
yes the gr07 is much cleaner and is still one of the very best IEMs you can get for the money.  the gr07 is superb.  though..... the GR04 gets you most of the way to the 7 but at a tiny fraction of its cost.  its lower numbered name is misleading as its only a little ibt below the 7 and quite a bit above the 6.  plus when the 4 came out it was priced waaay more than it is today.
 
as for EQ, well i dont really like to EQ things.  if you are going to EQ then try to do it by reducing not by raising.  so if you want more bass do it by reducing everything else.  some things if added just make clipping an issue. 
 
as for still feeling the ness were giving you clearer, id suggest that due to the senns having a more bighty and more present treble.  that can easily make it feel like its being more clear than it strictly is so maybe you would prefer a bit of a treble boost?  its worth giving a try to see if you like it more that way.

 
i totally agree, i'm like married to my gr07be. it will never leave me! unless i get the vsd7 when the come out or i get a pair of the classics/mk2 but anyway haha the gr07 are indeed fantastic.
 
i agree again with the eq comment. i myself do not like using eq and i wholeheartedly agree that if you want more bass or more of something reduce everything to get that result. bumping it up will just leading to clipping issues and introduce more problems. unless u can somehow lower the chance of clipping like say on the ios app "accudio" 
 
but again never liked eqing. eqing can only go so far and it for me anyway causes more problems than it fixes

 

[zoeryo]

how gr06 when paired with Colorfly c3 or SANSA clip sport? which one is better? when paired with c3 or SANSA clip sport. sorry with this question, I am still new. heheee

 

[zoeryo]

how gr06 when paired with Colorfly c3 or SANSA clip sport? which one is better? when paired with c3 or SANSA clip sport. sorry with this question, I am still new. Heheeealflying

 

[mark2410]

hey, welcome.
 
well dunno, not heard either but my best guess would more towards the colourfly.

 

[zoeryo]

thank you for the advice