[Olimoronio]

The Sentry ho470 "Wooden" IEM and ho480 "Metalix" IEM can both be had for $5 a pair at Big Lots!

They also have the JVC Marshmallow's for $10 a pair. I've seen the JVC's compared as the Koss KSC75 in the land of IEM's. Well, let's just say that if this is true, then to my ears anyway, there's a new budget sheriff in town and he has a deputy.

 

[rawrster]

if its only $5 a pair why not just buy them yourself and see for yourself? Reviews of gear even by people you trust can only do so much. Experiencing them yourself is much better than anything a review can give you.

 

[Olimoronio]

I did buy them and I think that they stomp the JVC's a new mudhole but I fear my newb status will cause any controversial review by me to be taken lightly.

BTW: My opinion was verified by three other sets of ears so I know I'm not crazy. The only difference being that I preferred the woodies for their extra body and slightly more extended bass and the others preferred the Metalix for their forward upper midrange and more extended and clear highs.

Both were vastly superior to the Marshmallow's IMO and let's not even talk about the looks. I agreed with pretty much everyone here on the KSC75's value for your dollar and really like them for the price so I thought I'd feel the same about the Mallow's. I actually saved them - "the best" - for last expecting the Sentry's to be pretty looking trash. Boy was I surprised.

 

[rawrster]

I wouldn't worry about being new here preventing you from posting a review. Some good reviews are posted by people with fewer posts than some of the regular reviewers so they would be considered new.

also in my defense that first post did sound awfully like..."someone buy iems and review them so i dont have to"

 

[Saintkeat]

send them to joker then... i hold his opinion in rather high regard

 

[kjk1281]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Olimoronio /img/forum/go_quote.gif I did buy them and I think that they stomp the JVC's a new mudhole but I fear my newb status will cause any controversial review by me to be taken lightly.

Don't let that stop you from sharing your thoughts. (It certainly doesn't stop me!

) Everybody has different ears, so there are almost an infinite amount of valid opinions. And besides, while I trust many prominent reviewers like |joker| and ClieOS, there are still many others who I will not name whose opinions I just ignore.

Quote:

BTW: My opinion was verified by three other sets of ears so I know I'm not crazy. The only difference being that I preferred the woodies for their extra body and slightly more extended bass and the others preferred the Metalix for their forward upper midrange and more extended and clear highs.

Judging by your tastes, I would probably trust your impressions rather than the three who chose the Metalixes since I really dislike forward upper mids.

In other words: Looking forward to your review!

 

[PolloLoco]

Heh, I've seen those at big lots and assumed they were junk. Maybe I'll just try a $5 experiment.

 

[NinjaCat]

I don't feel people will hold your post count against you because this will end up being a review of a really low budget iem, and hey we need more options at the $10 pricepoint

 

[ljokerl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Olimoronio /img/forum/go_quote.gif The Sentry ho470 "Wooden" IEM and ho480 "Metalix" IEM can both be had for $5 a pair at Big Lots! They also have the JVC Marshmallow's for $10 a pair. I've seen the JVC's compared as the Koss KSC75 in the land of IEM's. Well, let's just say that if this is true, then to my ears anyway, there's a new budget sheriff in town and he has a deputy.

I don't think I've seen a Big Lots around these parts. Not seeing prices under $10 online. Either way, I don't really consider the JVC Marshmallows to be on the same level as the KSC75. They're vastly overrated IMO - a carryover from when sub-$20 choices were limited to just the Marshmallows or low-end Sonys a few years ago.

Those wooden Sentrys look like the Playaz N1 that james444 likes so much and also one of the wooden Kanen models. If they're rebrands of the same thing they could be very good indeed. The MetaliX look like generic metal-housing IEMs, same as the Maximo iM-490, Dealextreme IEMs, etc. I especially like the Sentry HO341 "Balls". Wonder what made them adapt that name...

 

[grokit]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NinjaCat /img/forum/go_quote.gif hey we need more options at the $10 pricepoint

I'm actually not so sure about that; more good-sounding options perhaps

 

[TheGame21x]

Quote:

Originally Posted by grokit /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm actually not so sure about that; more good-sounding options perhaps

Indeed.

Eh, maybe when I've got a surplus of cash and nothing to spend it on, I'll give these little guys a run.

 

[rawrster]

surplus of cash AND nothing to spend it on..that will never happen while you are here

always something to spend your money on

 

[Olimoronio]

OK So yesterday I was listening to these through my Marantz SR8500 receiver's HP out. Today I listened through my Musiland Monitor 02 and they sounded a bit bloated in the bass region. The Metalix actually sounded better on my Musiland. Plugged the woodies back into the Marantz and there was that great sound back again.

This is starting to annoy, The Musiland is a really good budget DAC but it seems that there is much to be desired in the amp section. This isn’t the first time the 02 has come up… short. I'm going to run the signal from the 02 to my Akai integrated and my vintage Pioneer SX-780 receiver and see if these Sentry's are really that amp dependant or if my suspicions are right and the Musiland, as an amp, just isn't all that.



PS A friend of mine and his wife came over today and I let them have a listen. His wife is a drummer for whatever that's worth and they both loved the woodies. My friend said that these were the best IEM he's ever heard. Now, I don't know how many IEM he's owned or what brand or how hi-end they were so take that statement with a grain of salt.

The only thing that I want to express is that they're better than the Marshmallows and they cost only $5...

 

[grokit]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Olimoronio /img/forum/go_quote.gif OK So yesterday I was listening to these through my Marantz SR8500 receiver's HP out. Today I listened through my Musiland Monitor 02 and they sounded a bit bloated in the bass region. The Metalix actually sounded better on my Musiland. Plugged the woodies back into the Marantz and there was that great sound back again.

I believe this might be a good example of "synergy"; different phones match up better with different amps

 

[PolloLoco]

I've sent my custom quads' cables off to be reworked properly for the Fisher reshell. In the meantime, I decided to pick up both of the OP's recommendations from Job Lots to play with. I'm NOT going to compare them to my customs, LOL.

The Metalix - I may keep regardless due to their excellent mids. They're still burning in (only about 10 hours or so) - but the mids are forward, smooth, and warm. A little less detailed from what I remember in comparison to my old Re0's, but warmer and more lush. Unfortunately, they don't do anything else very well yet. I find that they're rolled off in both the lows and highs. Soundstage is definitely within the ears so far, separation is decent, placement is impossible. I'll keep them, but can't recommend them unless they really open up with burnin. Also - build quality is pretty much crap. The headphone cables have to be split, there's no slider. The paper filters aren't even centered on the nozzles properly - and one of the forgettable tips had a tab of rubber still left over from the manufacturing process.

The wooden ones I can't really comment on until they burnin more. The build quality is better than the metalix, but they still don't have cable sliders. They do have metal screens and a 45 degree jack. I never owned the CX300's (just the CX500) but that's what I think these must sound like with overwhelming muddy and bloated bass. I just haven't been able to listen to them for much time yet, because the experience hasn't been pleasant. Hopefully the mids and highs open up with burnin like the Lenntek Sonix did.