[thatBeatsguy]

  But if it was a tight fit for the 2.0's, then surely it would fit better on the 3.0's because of the thinner nozzles?

Exactly.

 

[AudioNoob]

I asked earlier and people said 400 are a perfect fit, just a couple posts above.
 
one more q, they don't leak enough to be heard in a library are they?

 

[AlecR]

T400 fit perfectly on the Piston 3.
 
On the Piston 2, frankly, the T400 are the wrong size as they got stuck on mine and when I pulled them off, the foam came off the plastic inner part. Are the T500s that much bigger?

 

[TiRider]

Add Kev Selection to the list of legitimate vendors. I got them fast (around 10 days) with no issues. They are currently offering Piston III for $22 shipped on Amazon (might have to buy another pair for that price).
 
I've been listening to them for a few days. I prefer their sound over my Piston II's. They do have less bass but I prefer the cleaner mids. Like the Piston II the III's have excellent construction. Kevlar covered cables, plastic/metal earpieces, and I don't even mind the relocated volume controls - it makes the right earpiece very easy to find. These are easily the best <$100 IEM's I've tried and for $22 they are a steal.

 

[julian67]

Further impressions after one week with the Piston 3:

To be at their best they need an amp. This is head-fi so many people won't recognise this as a fundamental design fault in a budget IEM, but it is. A budget IEM with Android headset controls should be at its best when partnered with a typical Android device (or a plain budget player).

The Piston 3s on my Galaxy Note II LTE have nice sound quality but really inadequate isolation for typical portable/urban/travel use. Isolation matters a lot in this use case, which surely is hardly an unusual use case for an Android headset.

The Piston 3s have lower than average sensitivity i.e. they sound a bit quieter than most budget IEMs and headsets. Whether this matters much depends on the the device driving them. Desktop headphone amp? No problem. Older generation player designed to drive similarly specified earbuds? Fine. Modern smartphone with relatively lower volume and very much designed with long battery life in mind? Hmmm....

My Note II works perfectly with a USB DAC or DAC/Amp connected to the micro USB port. I have a FiiO E7 and also the FiiO Line Out Dock accessory so I can use the E7 either as a DAC/Amp combo or just as a DAC feeding a separate amp. There is no way I'm going out and about with multiple devices bound up with micro-fetish-bondage-junior-perv-straps. I just want a single device that lets me listen/navigate/search/call/speak without wrestling with multiple controls, so the Note+FiiO combo is strictly for home or long trips and I do that weird thing of just using a smartphone and headset 99% of the time.

But I have to say that when these Piston 3s are driven by a much more powerful source than a smartphone that they become actually impressive. It's not just a question of levels, they really do feel like the music comes alive and are thoroughly enjoyable. More than anything I love listening to recordings of live performances and with the Piston 3s I do get that engagement and the crackle of the atmosphere.

I'm still not sure what might be the thinking behind a design like this. Clearly the Piston 3 is a product designed for personal/portable use in conjunction with an Android smartphone but, to really shine, they need better amplification and a quiet environment.

I like, use, enjoy, and am impressed by them (more so than the day they arrived) but I'm not sure they are such a compelling product as their predecessor, despite being technically superior.

(edited for 3 gazillion typos)

 

[Click]

I agree. Piston 3 sounds great with my LG G2 but they sound even better, at their best, when plugged into my Meridian Explorer² DAC/amp.
 
I have to turn up my LG G2's volume 1 notch below max to enjoy the P3. Still, they sound like awesome $100+ IEMs, regardless of amping. 

 

[AlecR]

And the G2 has an excellent DAC so that's not a good sign for other Android devices with poorer DACs, such as the Moto X (in my experience the DAC is quite poor on this device).

 

[julian67]

The Moto X is an actual thing? I thought its existence was confined to articles on arstechnica or theverge that nobody ever read anyway.

I live and learn....

 

[compoopers]

Just received mine, they sound GREAT!

 

[Badelhas]

Just received mine, they sound GREAT!

That's what I wanted to hear. I was beginning to regret ordering the 3.0 instead of the 2.0, which are cheaper on top of everything

 

[compoopers]

Well, I haven't heard the 2.0s, but I'll give my first 30 minute impressions.

They sound fantastic, with very good balance and presence. I read the criticisms of their fit, but I've had no problems with the default tips. I will try my Sony Hybrids later but they're just fine as it is.

They sound absolutely fantastic for how cheap they are. I would use these over my Hifiman RE-400s which were $100 when I bought them (they broke... which is why I bought these). Whether the 2.0s sound better or not must be nitpicking, because I don't think I've heard IEMs that I like much better than these!

 

[Click]

That's what I wanted to hear. I was beginning to regret ordering the 3.0 instead of the 2.0, which are cheaper on top of everything

Umm... didn't you say that you bought 4 sets of Piston 2.0s? 
 

I live in Portugal. I bought 4 sets of the piston 2.0 from ibuygou and they were all legit. Never bough from Tinydeals, are they definitely legit as well? Their price is already 20 bucks without any coupon, what's that coupon for?

Thanks guys

 
Why would other people's impressions of the P3 affect your own impressions on them? Can't make your own mind up on whether or not they sound good?

 

[Badelhas]

Umm... didn't you say that you bought 4 sets of Piston 2.0s? 

I can. But if lots of people says the 2.0 sound better it kind of worries me. It takes a bit for them to get here and I am currently listening to music on some cheap OEM headphones so I need them badly. Before ordering I got the idea they were a natural evolution from the 2.0, now I don't know.

 

[Hisoundfi]

I can. But if lots of people says the 2.0 sound better it kind of worries me. It takes a bit for them to get here and I am currently listening to music on some cheap OEM headphones so I need them badly. Before ordering I got the idea they were a natural evolution from the 2.0, now I don't know.

The piston 3 is more audiophile, more neutral, and with better details and separation than the 2. The 2 has more of a v-signature and will appeal to people who equate bass slam with sound quality. I don't say that to disrespect. The P3 is higher fidelity, and renders a more realistic and lifelike sound. The P2 is a borderline bass head phone that has better than average treble response, and works great with modern pop, hip hop, dub step and edm. If I were to play something besides those genres I can almost guarantee that many would prefer the P3 tuning.

 

[snip3r77]

I can. But if lots of people says the 2.0 sound better it kind of worries me. It takes a bit for them to get here and I am currently listening to music on some cheap OEM headphones so I need them badly. Before ordering I got the idea they were a natural evolution from the 2.0, now I don't know.

C'mon it's just US20.

in b4 1st world problem