ManicMunky
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- Jul 16, 2011
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Xears Communicate C100iP & Nature N3i
Well this is gonna be my first review ever! I am no audiophile but someone who just loves music.
Can't live without them. I listen to wide array of genre from PsyTrance, PsyBient, Post-Rock, Rock, Metal, Thrash and more! Anything with Drums & Bass in it! hehe
Before this, I thought ,my old CX500 which i got off ebay(might be fake for all i know..haha), was the best sounding IEs ever!!
It had impactful bass which i cant stay away from. Impactful, Punchy and Brain Vibrating Bass is my weakness! haha
Don't know if that is classified as a basshead but I just love them tight and punchy!
Anyway i am going to try and write a summary/review of my blind purchase from Xears.
All these after much reading on ClieOS/Joker's multi IEs review. Xears capture my attention.
I recently bought 2 off their site after reading so much about Xears/Thomas. - Joker gets credit for this.
Communications were through emails and in the end I bought the C100iP & N3i.
Purpose was to be able to use it with iPhones for the missus and myself.
Anyway I don't have much references/devices to compare with.
So i am just using my present Hippo VB and Denon AH-560R as benchmarks to compare.
Note i am no professional.. just sharing what i am hearing/seeing/feel!
Pardon the terms that i used.
Tools = Ipod Classic 120GB > FiiO L3 > PA2v2 > IEs (No EQ set with Comply T400 RED Medium Tip)
Packaging
Well there is nothing much to say about it as there were no boxes when it arrived.
Shipping was not bad actually. Reached me in a week! Cheap and Fast!
IEs was nicely packed in a sealed silvery plastic and lotsa different tips. (single, double, triple, foam)
Carrying pouch is nice and soft but don't think it would do much protection.
Xears Communicate C100iP w Mic
Design
The design/shape of this is kinda simillar to the XE200pro just that its metal instead of woodies like the XE.
But it does feel solid and for its price €19.90 I gotta say the build look much more expensive than that price.
The cable is really tangle free. I tried crumpling them up but they just un-crumple immediately. Nice!
Standard Y cable with a small mic on the left side of the Y.( Control is Built-In/Hidden )
Fits the ear easily.
Sound
Well Thomas said that i do not have to burn them in but i just did in any case. 50hrs.
First noticeable impression. Bass is pretty punchy with PsyTrance track! Compared to the Denon AH-560R, this is more impactful. I can say that it is just as impactful as the VB's.The bass thats coming out of this thing is worth more than its price.
One thing I notice is that the C100iP is better in the clarity area. I just feel that its more clearer than the VB.
Comparing them side by side I just feel that the C100iP soundstage feels bigger and the highs are a lil higher/crispy than the VB.
VB sounded kinda muffled a lil maybe due to some bass bleed to the mids esp for rock rongs. This was very apparent upon comparing them side by side using a 3.5mm splitter. After a few days of testing and comparing them again and again with different tips and EQs on my iPod,iPhone & Laptop, I concluded, for myself tho, that C100iP & N3i sounds clearer with just as good bass to the VB. I found myself setting the EQ to treble booster when the VB is on. Just to get the same clarity.
They got good highs which I do not notice any sibillance at all. N3i having more tight n punchy bass than C100iP but not that much and barely noticeable. They are more forward.
Then again it depends on what tips being used.
Mic
Simple mic test. Outdoor/Indoor calls. Normal background sounds does not bleed much into the mic. Voice is clear.
I don't have to put the mic close to my mouth and i don't have to raise my voice for the other party to hear me well.
So i can pretty much sum up that the mic works well.
Here is how the control works.
1 Click - Pause/Play/Answer
2 Clicks - Skip Forward
3 Clicks - Skip Backward
Xears Nature N3i w Mic
wood grains are visible (braided cables)
Design
This is definitely the biggest among the lot. It has a wooden body with metal canal tips.
First glance it does looks nice with all the wood grains.
The cable is a nice braided cable as are some of the other IEs for Xears. Looks professional and expensive i feel.
But i find it to be easily tangled. Perhaps it will get better with time! haha
J-Chord might not be to everyone's liking. The Fittings is slightly less comfy as its quite big for me ( maybe not for some )
Sound
I find the sound signature for this is very close to the C100iP.
I find the bass to be slightly more tighter and the mids to be more forward.
Compared to VB - say VB bass is 7..this is like 6 or even 6.5. Not that much either.
To some it might not be any difference!
But it sure is clearer with the highs and mids.
I don't hear any bass bleed to the mids too. Quite tight sounding and wide soundstage. IMO wider than VB.
The lushness of the wood sounds nice with ambient sounds like buddha bar or those with lotsa persussions, cymbals, chijmes and such.
I can safely say this has much clarity than the VB itself. I hate to say this but after comparing for 2 weeks or so, it beats my VB in clarity.
Although I can adjust the EQ to make VB much clearer but then again we are comparing them with NO EQ.
This thing is as loud as VB. A lil bit more than C100iP. I find that i have to up the volume a lil bit more for C100iP to get about the same volume as the other 2.
Mic
Tested again with outdoor/indoor calls.
Suprisingly no background noise bleed into the mic while i was about 1-1.5m away from the radio. Voice is clear.
The mic hangs on the shorter chord of the J-Chord and I do not have to move it closer to my mouth either for the other party to hear me well.
I do not have to raise my voice either.
There is only one button on the mic which says on/off
1 click - pause/play/answer
2 clicks - skip forward
3 clicks - skip backward
Overall
The overall objectives is to share my experience with these Xears that i got as there is not much being said about them out there. I can say I am impressed! Well these 2 are really good bang/buck IEs. They might not be perfect but i find them to give out an exceptional sound, clear crisp and punchy bass!! That is what matters most to me. Yes the braided cable of the N3i can be bothersome to some but it's still ok for me. Yes the N3i might be a lil bit big in size and petruding out quite abit but it stays in place and very light since its a woodie! Plus minus
huh? Simply said " Why pay so much for a brand when you can get a couple of these with some spare change perhaps?"
Thanks again Joker for recommending me to Xears!
. Hope these helps some out there! Peace Out!!
Well this is gonna be my first review ever! I am no audiophile but someone who just loves music.
Can't live without them. I listen to wide array of genre from PsyTrance, PsyBient, Post-Rock, Rock, Metal, Thrash and more! Anything with Drums & Bass in it! hehe
Before this, I thought ,my old CX500 which i got off ebay(might be fake for all i know..haha), was the best sounding IEs ever!!
It had impactful bass which i cant stay away from. Impactful, Punchy and Brain Vibrating Bass is my weakness! haha
Don't know if that is classified as a basshead but I just love them tight and punchy!
Anyway i am going to try and write a summary/review of my blind purchase from Xears.
All these after much reading on ClieOS/Joker's multi IEs review. Xears capture my attention.
I recently bought 2 off their site after reading so much about Xears/Thomas. - Joker gets credit for this.
Communications were through emails and in the end I bought the C100iP & N3i.
Purpose was to be able to use it with iPhones for the missus and myself.
Anyway I don't have much references/devices to compare with.
So i am just using my present Hippo VB and Denon AH-560R as benchmarks to compare.
Note i am no professional.. just sharing what i am hearing/seeing/feel!
Pardon the terms that i used.
Tools = Ipod Classic 120GB > FiiO L3 > PA2v2 > IEs (No EQ set with Comply T400 RED Medium Tip)
Packaging
Well there is nothing much to say about it as there were no boxes when it arrived.
Shipping was not bad actually. Reached me in a week! Cheap and Fast!
IEs was nicely packed in a sealed silvery plastic and lotsa different tips. (single, double, triple, foam)
Carrying pouch is nice and soft but don't think it would do much protection.
Xears Communicate C100iP w Mic
Design
The design/shape of this is kinda simillar to the XE200pro just that its metal instead of woodies like the XE.
But it does feel solid and for its price €19.90 I gotta say the build look much more expensive than that price.
The cable is really tangle free. I tried crumpling them up but they just un-crumple immediately. Nice!
Standard Y cable with a small mic on the left side of the Y.( Control is Built-In/Hidden )
Fits the ear easily.
Sound
Well Thomas said that i do not have to burn them in but i just did in any case. 50hrs.
First noticeable impression. Bass is pretty punchy with PsyTrance track! Compared to the Denon AH-560R, this is more impactful. I can say that it is just as impactful as the VB's.The bass thats coming out of this thing is worth more than its price.
One thing I notice is that the C100iP is better in the clarity area. I just feel that its more clearer than the VB.
Comparing them side by side I just feel that the C100iP soundstage feels bigger and the highs are a lil higher/crispy than the VB.
VB sounded kinda muffled a lil maybe due to some bass bleed to the mids esp for rock rongs. This was very apparent upon comparing them side by side using a 3.5mm splitter. After a few days of testing and comparing them again and again with different tips and EQs on my iPod,iPhone & Laptop, I concluded, for myself tho, that C100iP & N3i sounds clearer with just as good bass to the VB. I found myself setting the EQ to treble booster when the VB is on. Just to get the same clarity.
They got good highs which I do not notice any sibillance at all. N3i having more tight n punchy bass than C100iP but not that much and barely noticeable. They are more forward.
Then again it depends on what tips being used.
Mic
Simple mic test. Outdoor/Indoor calls. Normal background sounds does not bleed much into the mic. Voice is clear.
I don't have to put the mic close to my mouth and i don't have to raise my voice for the other party to hear me well.
So i can pretty much sum up that the mic works well.
Here is how the control works.
1 Click - Pause/Play/Answer
2 Clicks - Skip Forward
3 Clicks - Skip Backward
Xears Nature N3i w Mic
wood grains are visible (braided cables)
Design
This is definitely the biggest among the lot. It has a wooden body with metal canal tips.
First glance it does looks nice with all the wood grains.
The cable is a nice braided cable as are some of the other IEs for Xears. Looks professional and expensive i feel.
But i find it to be easily tangled. Perhaps it will get better with time! haha
J-Chord might not be to everyone's liking. The Fittings is slightly less comfy as its quite big for me ( maybe not for some )
Sound
I find the sound signature for this is very close to the C100iP.
I find the bass to be slightly more tighter and the mids to be more forward.
Compared to VB - say VB bass is 7..this is like 6 or even 6.5. Not that much either.
To some it might not be any difference!
But it sure is clearer with the highs and mids.
I don't hear any bass bleed to the mids too. Quite tight sounding and wide soundstage. IMO wider than VB.
The lushness of the wood sounds nice with ambient sounds like buddha bar or those with lotsa persussions, cymbals, chijmes and such.
I can safely say this has much clarity than the VB itself. I hate to say this but after comparing for 2 weeks or so, it beats my VB in clarity.
Although I can adjust the EQ to make VB much clearer but then again we are comparing them with NO EQ.
This thing is as loud as VB. A lil bit more than C100iP. I find that i have to up the volume a lil bit more for C100iP to get about the same volume as the other 2.
Mic
Tested again with outdoor/indoor calls.
Suprisingly no background noise bleed into the mic while i was about 1-1.5m away from the radio. Voice is clear.
The mic hangs on the shorter chord of the J-Chord and I do not have to move it closer to my mouth either for the other party to hear me well.
I do not have to raise my voice either.
There is only one button on the mic which says on/off
1 click - pause/play/answer
2 clicks - skip forward
3 clicks - skip backward
Overall
The overall objectives is to share my experience with these Xears that i got as there is not much being said about them out there. I can say I am impressed! Well these 2 are really good bang/buck IEs. They might not be perfect but i find them to give out an exceptional sound, clear crisp and punchy bass!! That is what matters most to me. Yes the braided cable of the N3i can be bothersome to some but it's still ok for me. Yes the N3i might be a lil bit big in size and petruding out quite abit but it stays in place and very light since its a woodie! Plus minus
huh? Simply said " Why pay so much for a brand when you can get a couple of these with some spare change perhaps?"
Thanks again Joker for recommending me to Xears!
