[Slater]

I have been thinking about that ...but how do you explain something like "right earpiece does not reproduce higher frequencies so I reckon BA driver in right earpiece has a problem" when even I determined the problem just after few days and it can be proved only by simultaneous frequency sweeps? Right side "kind of works" and I do not expect that average support person will bother with "missing frequency band" trifles ...also, where I live

it is easier and cheaper to buy another pair than ship them back.
In any case - thanks for trying to help slaterlovesspam

As I mentioned, my best advice would be to boil it down to as simple terms as possible. These people aren't ultra technical, and 99.9% do not speak English as their primary language.
 
Since the right BA driver isn't working, technically the "right side isn't working". Trying to explain that these are triple drivers, and 1 of the 3 drivers doesn't work, or that you used a frequency sweeping program to determine this is only going to cause confusion on their part and frustration on yours. They really do want to help and genuinely try to help as best they can. So the best thing you can do is make it as simple and clear as possible.
 
I've been directly importing products from overseas for going on 20 years, from wholesale parts for resale to retail products for personal use. I can say the K.I.S.S. principle definitely applies. I mean this with the utmost respect, but pretend like you're explaining it to a 5 year old. Use small words, short/clear/simple sentences, no contractions or slang, and omit minute and technical details unless they specifically ask. I've found it's helpful to use 'broken' English, because when you learn multiple languages, minute grammatical nuances are very hard to learn. You've may have even seen this with Google Translate, where things often get boiled down to a kind of 'close but not perfect' state. You still get the general point, even if the grammar isn't translated perfectly.
 
I would contact their support, and say this:
 
"Hello friend. I received the product. It is defective. The left side work OK. The right side does not work. Right side have NO sound (or you can say 'has POOR sound' or 'has CRACKLING sound'). I test this item on my phone, laptop, and MP3 player. It still behave the same on phone, laptop, and MP3 player. I can not send a photo of problem, because problem must be heard with ears. Can you please exchange for a new pair or provide a full refund? I do not want a partial refund. Since right side have no sound, I cannot use item. Do you understand the problem well? Thank you very much."
 
So as you see above, you are not lying, trying to cheat them, making things up, etc. But the above statement will get you a hell of a lot further than something like this:
 
"Hi, I received my Xiaomi Pro HD earbuds, and they aren't working right. I tested them with a frequency sweep file from an audiophile testing CD, and discovered that the BA (Balance Armature) driver in the right side isn't working. Maybe it's bad or not even hooked up internally? I'm not 100% sure. The good news is that on the left side, everything seems to be working just fine though. The problem is only on the right side. Each earbud has 3 drivers inside, and I think on the right side only 2 of the 3 drivers are working. So the right side does technically make sound, but the treble (high frequencies) is missing. Does this make sense? Can you ship me a new pair or provide a full refund please?"
 
Good luck with the 2nd explanation - it's full of contractions, unnecessary details, confusing technical jargon, superfluous adjectives, etc. It's not even written with the best grammar (it's very conversational English). But if you posted the 2nd explanation on this board, or to an audiophile retailer in the US, we'd know exactly what the hell you're talking about. The 1st explanation, however, will get the issue resolved with no fuss, which is ultimately what you want.

 

[Slater]

  Is it normal for in ears to have noticeable static noise when used with phones?

If I use piston 2/hybrid pro hd on a phone (tried 3) they all have static noise very noticeable at lower volumes. However there is none when I use them on my pc.

If I connect a pair of full size headphones to the phone there is no noticeable static on the phone or pc

Since you ruled out that the problem isn't related to the phone's jack, my guess is there's a broken wire or short somewhere along the earbud's wiring, near the plug or strain relief, or inside the button controls which is causing the static. Or the earbuds (or microphone) got wet/overly sweaty at some point and could be flaking out from that.
 
I've replaced probably 50 removable headphone cables on my daughter's headphones over the years, and this is exactly how they behave when something in the wiring or microphone/control buttons has gone bad.
 
Likewise, since the Hybrid Pro is a dual-driver design, it's also possible that one of the 2 drivers has gone bad or is shorting out (likely the BA).
 
Regardless, there shouldn't be static and is an indicator that you need to replace them. I'd recommend the Pro HDs, which are a nice upgrade from the Hybrid Pros.

 

[spixel]

The earphones are brand new and same thing happens with the older piston 2 I also have which is single driver. And it only happens when plugged into a phone.Tried 3 different phones, all different brands, no problem with any of them since there is no static noise using full size headphones. Also no static or significantly less when using hybrid pro hd and piston 2 when plugged into my computer.

There must be some kind of issue although I guess its normal and most people don't notice it, very noticeable to me  however and hard to unnotice it.  Maybe its to do with the third 'ring' on the jack used in phones for the mic/volume controls, whatever its used for.

 

[spixel]

  Since you ruled out that the problem isn't related to the phone's jack, my guess is there's a broken wire or short somewhere along the earbud's wiring, near the plug or strain relief, or inside the button controls which is causing the static. Or the earbuds (or microphone) got wet/overly sweaty at some point and could be flaking out from that.
 
I've replaced probably 50 removable headphone cables on my daughter's headphones over the years, and this is exactly how they behave when something in the wiring or microphone/control buttons has gone bad.
 
Likewise, since the Hybrid Pro is a dual-driver design, it's also possible that one of the 2 drivers has gone bad or is shorting out (likely the BA).
 
Regardless, there shouldn't be static and is an indicator that you need to replace them. I'd recommend the Pro HDs, which are a nice upgrade from the Hybrid Pros.

The earphones are brand new and same thing happens with the older piston 2 I also have which is single driver. And it only happens when plugged into a phone.Tried 3 different phones, all different brands, no problem with any of them since there is no static noise using full size headphones. Also no static or significantly less when using hybrid pro hd and piston 2 when plugged into my computer.

There must be some kind of issue although I guess its normal and most people don't notice it, very noticeable to me  however and hard to unnotice it.  Maybe its to do with the third 'ring' on the jack used in phones for the mic/volume controls, whatever its used for.

 

[Slater]

  The earphones are brand new and same thing happens with the older piston 2 I also have which is single driver. And it only happens when plugged into a phone.Tried 3 different phones, all different brands, no problem with any of them since there is no static noise using full size headphones. Also no static or significantly less when using hybrid pro hd and piston 2 when plugged into my computer.

There must be some kind of issue although I guess its normal and most people don't notice it, very noticeable to me  however and hard to unnotice it.  Maybe its to do with the third 'ring' on the jack used in phones for the mic/volume controls, whatever its used for.

 
I was just going to say, my money is now on the female jack on the phone. I have had cases where there's a defective female jack, and minute differences between male 3.5mm plugs on different headphone cables causes intermittent contact. Sometimes one plug is a few thousands thicker or thinner, or the tip is just a few thousands longer or shorter. The result is some working perfectly while other flake out (static or intermittent cutting out in one side as I fiddle with the cable is usually the culprit). And often if you pull out the cable from the jack EVER SO SLIGHTLY, you will find one spot where the audio starts working perfectly. This means that the female jack is on it's way out.
 
There's 3 things you can try:
 
1. SHUT OFF YOUR PHONE, remove the battery, and take a can or compressed air and blow the crap out of the female jack on the phone. It could just be gunked up with lint and dust.
 
2. SHUT OFF YOUR PHONE, remove the battery, and take a paper clip or sewing needle and CAREFULLY bend the contacts inside of the female jack on the phone very slightly. I mean very slightly. You will need a lot of light and really good eyes for this. You're hoping to get better contacts with the male end.
 
3. Replace the female jack in the phone. If you can't do this yourself, a good electronics repair shop, most EE students or even 'makers' can do this. I've replaced quite a few female jacks on iPods and in laptops over the years due to flaky female jacks.

 

[spixel]

A defective jack on 3 different brand phones, 2 which are brand new? High doubtful...

You have the hybrid pro hd? Or another earphone with built in mic/controls? Please try this on your phone.

Turn on any youtube video and put the volume down to the first/2nd notch. For some reason it is much more noticeable on youtube than spotify, although it is defintely still there on spotify but less so. There is a hissing/crackling noise which either disappears or gets hidden when you increase it any further. When I try it with full size headphones (no mic/controls) the sound is perfectly clean at very low volumes.

 

[Slater]

  A defective jack on 3 different brand phones, 2 which are brand new? High doubtful...

You have the hybrid pro hd? Or another earphone with built in mic/controls? Please try this on your phone.

Turn on any youtube video and put the volume down to the first/2nd notch. For some reason it is much more noticeable on youtube than spotify, although it is defintely still there on spotify but less so. There is a hissing/crackling noise which either disappears or gets hidden when you increase it any further. When I try it with full size headphones (no mic/controls) the sound is perfectly clean at very low volumes.

Crap, I missed the part about the 3 different phones. No, you're right it's not the phone jack.
 
Could be an impedance thing. Do you know the impedance of the headphones you are using? Try to find some headphones with the same impedance of the IEMs (likely 16 and maybe 32ohm) and give it a go.
 
Curiously, what is the brand/model of phone? Xiaomi wires their headphones/IEM for Android devices. Apple products have different wiring at the microphone/control buttons as you know.
 
I have Pro HD BTW, and this does not happen on my phone (HTC Incredible), iPad Mini, or laptop. I'm listening to YouTube right now. Also tried Spotify, iTunes, and last.fm.
 
Lemme go try it with a few pair of KZs (some have mic/controls, some no controls). I'll report back.

 

[spixel]

  Crap, I missed the part about the 3 different phones. No, you're right it's not the phone jack.
 
Could be an impedance thing. Do you know the impedance of the headphones you are using? Try to find some headphones with the same impedance of the IEMs (likely 16 and maybe 32ohm) and give it a go.
 
Curiously, what is the brand/model of phone? Xiaomi wires their headphones/IEM for Android devices. Apple products have different wiring at the microphone/control buttons as you know.
 
I have Pro HD BTW, and this does not happen on my phone (HTC Incredible), iPad Mini, or laptop. I'm listening to YouTube right now. Also tried Spotify, iTunes, and last.fm.
 
Lemme go try it with a few pair of KZs (some have mic/controls, some no controls). I'll report back.

I found 2 pairs of crappy unbranded old earphones, one with controls/mic one without. Neither of them have any issue. I guess its something to do with the pistons (2 + pro hd) not being able to be powered properly by a phone at low volumes whereas the pc drives them differently. On a pc I can put the volume as low as possible and the static/crackling is pretty much non existent. Odd that nobody else noticed this, I guess most don't listen to music at low volumes in quiet environments.

 

[ricemanhk]

I have been thinking about that ...but how do you explain something like "right earpiece does not reproduce higher frequencies so I reckon BA driver in right earpiece has a problem" when even I determined the problem just after few days and it can be proved only by simultaneous frequency sweeps? Right side "kind of works" and I do not expect that average support person will bother with "missing frequency band" trifles ...also, where I live

it is easier and cheaper to buy another pair than ship them back.
In any case - thanks for trying to help slaterlovesspam

 
Sorry to hear, but that's just bad luck. I've had about 15 xiaomi IEMs over the years (gen 1 through gen 5, and multiple ones for some generations as my wife uses them too). Never had a bad one.  I do get broken wires over time at the wire plug relief point, but that's normal wear and tear from my daily use and the relatively poor strain relief. Still at those prices I often just get an extra pair as backup until 1 pair breaks.
 
Try to get a replacement/refund from GB as others have said, seems they are pretty good with these things.

 

[ricemanhk]

 
I found 2 pairs of crappy unbranded old earphones, one with controls/mic one without. Neither of them have any issue. I guess its something to do with the pistons (2 + pro hd) not being able to be powered properly by a phone at low volumes whereas the pc drives them differently. On a pc I can put the volume as low as possible and the static/crackling is pretty much non existent. Odd that nobody else noticed this, I guess most don't listen to music at low volumes in quiet environments.

 
Seems like it's your phone, since you say the problem doesn't happen with your PC.  What model is your phone?
Xiaomi pistons are relatively easy to drive, which means any static will be picked up, especially if you are listening at low volumes in quiet environments.  Using headphones generally means you're going to be playing at higher volumes and thus have a better SNR so the static is less audible.  For the other 2 pairs of crappy earphones, are they in-ear type or earbuds?  Static is more noticeable with in-ears since you have a better seal.
 
I don't have static issues with my xiaomi IEMs on my phone or desktop sound card, but my laptop would have some static. 

 

[Alberto Bme]

Well, first, sorry for my english... I have to say, after already 20 hours of burn-in in my Xiaomi Hybrid Pro, the left side, the Armature Driver is dead! I lost the high frecuencys in that channel.
Ok, that's happened 3 weks ago and  my seller has send to me another Hybrid Pro.
So, no more burn-in for me... lol
My first pair of Xiomi Hybrid never has present a problem like the Pro
 
Regards!

 

[Apple0222]

I see the Xiaomi Hybrid Pro review in youtube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IbmA3OyMpY
 
it seems that it is awesome. Though I don't have one. 

 

[Slater]

  Well, first, sorry for my english... I have to say, after already 20 hours of burn-in in my Xiaomi Hybrid Pro, the left side, the Armature Driver is dead! I lost the high frecuencys in that channel.
Ok, that's happened 3 weks ago and  my seller has send to me another Hybrid Pro.
So, no more burn-in for me... lol
My first pair of Xiomi Hybrid never has present a problem like the Pro
 
Regards!

 
Wow, that sucks.
 
Can you verify if it's the Pro or the Pro HD?
 
In other words, which one in these Photos:
 
<--Hybrid Pro          In-Ear Pro HD-->
<--Hybrid Pro          In-Ear Pro HD-->
<--Hybrid Pro          In-Ear Pro HD-->

 

[ricemanhk]

FWIW, I've seen some fake pistons in Shenzhen, but those are typically the gen 2 or those "youth" colorful versions.  I know they're fake coz some of the colors are not the official ones.
I've yet to see obviously fake gen 4/gen 5 (hybrid/hybrid pros) but if someone is faking the cheapo youth versions then maybe there might be.  Still, the metal casing makes it a bit more expensive to fake I guess...
 
Anyway, get it from the better shops for peace of mind.

 

[FauDrei]

...I have to say, after already 20 hours of burn-in in my Xiaomi Hybrid Pro, the left side, the Armature Driver is dead! I lost the high frecuencys in that channel.
Ok, that's happened 3 weks ago and  my seller has send to me another Hybrid Pro...

So there is another case of dead BA driver... not on HD Pros but on Hybrid Pros. Funny though - I bought the Hybrids for my son and they are beautifully built, they sound good, without any technical problem and because of that I went for HD Pros.

Thanks for sharing your experience Alberto. Have you bought your Hybrids on GearBest? Did you have to ship back your defective Hybrid Pro pair of headphones?