[atomikn00b]

Quote:

I think that with the stock tips and source under 1 ohm XBA-3 has almost the same amount of bass quantity as MH1C and should be more than GR07.
 
 

I had all at the same time. Bass on XBA-3 does not compare to even the GR07 MKII, not to mention the BE. MH1C definitely has the most bass/subbass but it is slow and the quantity is unnecessary.

And thanks for the write up Master Troll (AKA sfwalcer). A mighty fine job. Looking forward to the return of my precious.
 

 

[Disconnekt]

I have 3 complaints with the CKN70s:
 
1) The overall spectral balance is kind of wonky... they have serious midbass/lower mids, and they are significantly recessed around 2 kHz, which hurts clarity in vocals, guitars, etc.
 
2) They require some pretty crazy EQ to smooth out the high end (if you want the high end to be smooth... some people don't mind). It's peaky in weird ways.
 
3) The channel matching was kind of off in mine: sweeping a sine wave through the whole spectrum results in some crazy back and forth panning.
 
That said, very careful EQ to tame the midbass, boost broadly around 2 kHz, and tame the treble spikes yields probably the most technically impressive IEM I've ever heard... the detail, sparkle, speed, black space, and sub bass are unreal once everything is balanced out to one's liking.  These are so much fun to listen to and remind me of a really high-end home theater rig with a subwoofer.
 
I just got GR07BEs yesterday, and they are very nearly as technically good as the CKN70s to my ears... burn-in will probably make them even better.  The channels are nearly perfectly matched.  Although the sub bass is not quite as impressive as the CKN70s, the rest of the spectrum is MUCH more balanced.  The midrange on these is wonderful and lacks nothing.  Although I tend to cut the midbass a little bit, it's probably right where it needs to be for most people.  There are still the usual spiky resonances in the high end that cause a little sibilance, but they're much more regular and easier to fix, and to my ears, the GR07BEs sound far better than the CKN70s without EQ.  Plus, they're incredibly comfortable, the adjustable nozzles are great for getting the best possible fit, the cable is fantastic with pretty much no microphonics, and if none of the ridiculously many ear tips they provide work for you, you might need a custom IEM anyway.
 
If you have patience and parametric EQ that you can apply separately to the left and right channels, though... the CKN70s are about half the price and lack nothing to my ears in clarity and ability to reproduce detail.  I can't emphasize enough how immersive and captivating they are once the spectral issues are sorted out.  I don't think I'll be getting rid of mine.

 

[zerocoolhifi]

Quote:

I had all at the same time. Bass on XBA-3 does not compare to even the GR07 MKII, not to mention the BE. MH1C definitely has the most bass/subbass but it is slow and the quantity is unnecessary.

And thanks for the write up Master Troll (AKA sfwalcer). A mighty fine job. Looking forward to the return of my precious.
 

Sorry for reading that last bit like the Lord of Rings character - whatever his name is. 

 

[Jakkal]

Quote:

I had all at the same time. Bass on XBA-3 does not compare to even the GR07 MKII, not to mention the BE. MH1C definitely has the most bass/subbass but it is slow and the quantity is unnecessary.

And thanks for the write up Master Troll (AKA sfwalcer). A mighty fine job. Looking forward to the return of my precious.
 

It is possible,I just find the bass quantity to be very close between XBA-30 and MH1C

 

[sfwalcer]

Quote:

I had all at the same time. Bass on XBA-3 does not compare to even the GR07 MKII, not to mention the BE. MH1C definitely has the most bass/subbass but it is slow and the quantity is unnecessary.

And thanks for the write up Master Troll (AKA sfwalcer). A mighty fine job. Looking forward to the return of my precious.
 

Don't know what ya' talkin' 'bout meng. 

 
What precious??? IT"S MINE!!!
 

 
 
 
Quote:

I have 3 complaints with the CKN70s:
 
1) The overall spectral balance is kind of wonky... they have serious midbass/lower mids, and they are significantly recessed around 2 kHz, which hurts clarity in vocals, guitars, etc.
 
2) They require some pretty crazy EQ to smooth out the high end (if you want the high end to be smooth... some people don't mind). It's peaky in weird ways.
 
3) The channel matching was kind of off in mine: sweeping a sine wave through the whole spectrum results in some crazy back and forth panning.
 
That said, very careful EQ to tame the midbass, boost broadly around 2 kHz, and tame the treble spikes yields probably the most technically impressive IEM I've ever heard... the detail, sparkle, speed, black space, and sub bass are unreal once everything is balanced out to one's liking.  These are so much fun to listen to and remind me of a really high-end home theater rig with a subwoofer.
 
I just got GR07BEs yesterday, and they are very nearly as technically good as the CKN70s to my ears... burn-in will probably make them even better.  The channels are nearly perfectly matched.  Although the sub bass is not quite as impressive as the CKN70s, the rest of the spectrum is MUCH more balanced.  The midrange on these is wonderful and lacks nothing.  Although I tend to cut the midbass a little bit, it's probably right where it needs to be for most people.  There are still the usual spiky resonances in the high end that cause a little sibilance, but they're much more regular and easier to fix, and to my ears, the GR07BEs sound far better than the CKN70s without EQ.  Plus, they're incredibly comfortable, the adjustable nozzles are great for getting the best possible fit, the cable is fantastic with pretty much no microphonics, and if none of the ridiculously many ear tips they provide work for you, you might need a custom IEM anyway.
 
If you have patience and parametric EQ that you can apply separately to the left and right channels, though... the CKN70s are about half the price and lack nothing to my ears in clarity and ability to reproduce detail.  I can't emphasize enough how immersive and captivating they are once the spectral issues are sorted out.  I don't think I'll be getting rid of mine.

 
^ Well said, agreed with almost 100%. The slight peakiness in these gr07 BEs will become completely mellowed out with burn it and the sub bass gets deeper and better as well. I heard some slight sibilance at the very beginning but no longer. The bass quantity and quality is better than the CKN70s, so these gr07 BE for me is superior is all aspects but it is like 2.5X the price though so................

 

[sfwalcer]

Quote:

Sorry for reading that last bit like the Lord of Rings character - whatever his name is. 

Damn looks like i got beat.

 
My write-up is not finalized yet, got my godly editor to go over it and it will look a lot more professional when it's finalized. Not sure if i want it to look THAT professional tbh. haha
 
Those Twinkie Skittles!!!

 

[nicholars]

How does the bass compare to the Atrio MG7 or Shure 215 or Yamaha EPH100 in terms of quantity of mid/sub bass and also quality?

 

[Disconnekt]

Quote:

^ Well said, agreed with almost 100%. The slight peakiness in these gr07 BEs will become completely mellowed out with burn it and the sub bass gets deeper and better as well. I heard some slight sibilance at the very beginning but no longer. The bass quantity and quality is better than the CKN70s, so these gr07 BE for me is superior is all aspects but it is like 2.5X the price though so................

 
I sure hope so!  Even so, they take to EQ really well, so I'm not concerned.  I'm not sure I'd agree about bass quantity/quality being better than the CKN70... those sound like really good subwoofers to me.  The GR07 is wonderfully quick, but sounds a hair lean to me and like it starts to roll off a bit higher than the CKN70.  Like I said, though, nothing EQ can't deal with.
 
I said before that the CKN70s are like a good home theater system, dynamic and in-your-face... I would add to that the GR07BEs remind me very much of my Event studio monitors and Blue Sky subwoofer in their extension, detail across the spectrum, and linearity (once peaks are subdued).  For fun, the CKN70s might be better, but for hearing as much as possible in the music, I think the GR07BEs take the cake.  I'm surprised the midrange of the CKN70s gets so much attention and that of the GR07BEs gets less... in my opinion, the mids are the weakest part of the CKNs and the strongest part of the GR07BEs.

 

[sfwalcer]

Quote:

 
I sure hope so!  Even so, they take to EQ really well, so I'm not concerned.  I'm not sure I'd agree about bass quantity/quality being better than the CKN70... those sound like really good subwoofers to me.  The GR07 is wonderfully quick, but sounds a hair lean to me and like it starts to roll off a bit higher than the CKN70.  Like I said, though, nothing EQ can't deal with.
 
I said before that the CKN70s are like a good home theater system, dynamic and in-your-face... I would add to that the GR07BEs remind me very much of my Event studio monitors and Blue Sky subwoofer in their extension, detail across the spectrum, and linearity (once peaks are subdued).  For fun, the CKN70s might be better, but for hearing as much as possible in the music, I think the GR07BEs take the cake.  I'm surprised the midrange of the CKN70s gets so much attention and that of the GR07BEs gets less... in my opinion, the mids are the weakest part of the CKNs and the strongest part of the GR07BEs.

^ I think it is best to just toss them in the burner for 100hr at a time, then re-listen to them to experience the changes. But do make good notes of pre/post burn-in every time just for documentation. Burn these to hell on max volume with beat heavy tracks and they will shine in no time. their bass for me didn't really sound lean but just a bit tight. For me these gr07 BE have more bass than my CKN70s for sure even in sub bass, which makes it more fun to listen to.
 
Yeppp it's crazy how much micro details these things have in the modrange. Literally all over your face, and it's presented in a very realistic manner as well. Carbon nanotube iems just have this more "artificial" sound to them which these gr07 BEs seems to address. Let me quote another head-fier that i PMed regarding these gr07 BEs. I am sure he is fine with me posting this i hope.

 
"gr07be has got details in globs, there is nowhere I can fault them, with respect to their SQ, someone mentioned to me that they are like stage monitors and that could be the problem for long listening sessions."

 

[mugen3]

Disconnekt nice assessment of the CKN70s. I also felt the midbass was a bit excessive and the mids needed more clarity. TripleFi tips have solved these issues for me. Bass is more linear now, and the sub bass on these is amazing indeed. Fantastic extension texture and body. The highs are smooth now as well. I have no bones to pick with these anymore.

 

[Disconnekt]

Quote:

^ I think it is best to just toss them in the burner for 100hr at a time, then re-listen to them to experience the changes. But do make good notes of pre/post burn-in every time just for documentation. Burn these to hell on max volume with beat heavy tracks and they will shine in no time. their bass for me didn't really sound lean but just a bit tight. For me these gr07 BE have more bass than my CKN70s for sure even in sub bass, which makes it more fun to listen to.
 
Yeppp it's crazy how much micro details these things have in the modrange. Literally all over your face, and it's presented in a very realistic manner as well. Carbon nanotube iems just have this more "artificial" sound to them which these gr07 BEs seems to address. Let me quote another head-fier that i PMed regarding these gr07 BEs. I am sure he is fine with me posting this i hope.

 
"gr07be has got details in globs, there is nowhere I can fault them, with respect to their SQ, someone mentioned to me that they are like stage monitors and that could be the problem for long listening sessions."

 
You know, I don't know whether it's brain burn-in, drivers loosening up, fatigue from my last extended listening session, or what, but when I came back to the BEs after several hours doing other things (even without burning them at the time), the bass sounded exactly right to me where it sounded a bit lacking before.  Go figure.  I probably had about 10 hours on them tops at the time.  But except for the resonant spikes up high, these things are perfect.  Like, I seriously can't find anything wrong with them.  Clarity, detail, balance, imaging, 3D soundstage... these have it all.  Totally transparent to my ears.  Not at all dramatic, not super exciting, but coming from an audio engineering background, I've learned to love hearing things exactly as they're supposed to sound, without being enhanced or deficient in any way, and these give me that experience.  I love it.  When I'm watching movies or I want that little extra bit of exaggerated rumble and sparkle, I'll revisit the CKN70s, but I see a good 95% of my listening done on the BEs from here on out.  I don't have to miss my monitors when I'm away from home any more.
 
Quote:

Disconnekt nice assessment of the CKN70s. I also felt the midbass was a bit excessive and the mids needed more clarity. TripleFi tips have solved these issues for me. Bass is more linear now, and the sub bass on these is amazing indeed. Fantastic extension texture and body. The highs are smooth now as well. I have no bones to pick with these anymore.

 
I don't have any of those tips... are they available as replacements anywhere? I'd be curious to try them if they improve things that much...

 

[sfwalcer]

Quote:

 
You know, I don't know whether it's brain burn-in, drivers loosening up, fatigue from my last extended listening session, or what, but when I came back to the BEs after several hours doing other things (even without burning them at the time), the bass sounded exactly right to me where it sounded a bit lacking before.  Go figure.  I probably had about 10 hours on them tops at the time.  But except for the resonant spikes up high, these things are perfect.  Like, I seriously can't find anything wrong with them.  Clarity, detail, balance, imaging, 3D soundstage... these have it all.  Totally transparent to my ears.  Not at all dramatic, not super exciting, but coming from an audio engineering background, I've learned to love hearing things exactly as they're supposed to sound, without being enhanced or deficient in any way, and these give me that experience.  I love it.  When I'm watching movies or I want that little extra bit of exaggerated rumble and sparkle, I'll revisit the CKN70s, but I see a good 95% of my listening done on the BEs from here on out.  I don't have to miss my monitors when I'm away from home any more.
 
 
I don't have any of those tips... are they available as replacements anywhere? I'd be curious to try them if they improve things that much...

^ WoW that's high praise i feel the same regarding my CKN70s and these gr07 BEs. i don't mind even more bass on these gr07 BEs though.

 
I want an extreme bass edition, then i am done for good. hoho

 

[nicholars]

How does the bass compare to the Atrio MG7 or Shure 215 or Yamaha EPH100 in terms of quantity of mid/sub bass and also quality?

 

[eke2k6]

How does the bass compare to the Atrio MG7 or Shure 215 or Yamaha EPH100 in terms of quantity of mid/sub bass and also quality?

I compared both a few pages ago. Do a search.

 

[korebrent]

Thanks for your reply, what are the 530's your reffering to? Im not desperate to get a new pair of iem's at the moment so I willing to wait for a good deal to come along, but I do enjoy the sony mh1c's. Abit worrying people saying the bass quantity is less than the s500's as I have them with stock pads and I taped the ports. I prefer a warm, sweet sound, I like the tuning of the sony's but think the vocals are a little recessed and lacks sparkle. I think my choices right now are the xba 30, vsonic BE, ckn70. Any other choices you guys would recommend?

shure 530 an older but fairly well regarded iem ...as for recommendations ...I would do a diservice to try I haven't owned enough higher end iem I did enjoy and still enjoy my ddw2 good bottom good warm fun sounding plug its kind of a double dynamic like a woofer on top of a woofer search the forums and reviews until something catches your eye then research maybe audition a pair if possible or you may check headfi has a for sale forum as well good luck hope you find it ...cheers