[an-i-no]

It's designed for Android devices. I believe the play/pause button will work on iOS devices; not the volume buttons.

Aw hell OK. I was hoping for iOS controls. Thanks

 

[AlecR]

Unfortunately, as a manufacturer of Android devices, Xiaomi caters to these devices primarily.

I would highly recommend the Pistons though. I'm very impressed.

 

[AlecR]

I should ask: what sound signature are you looking for?

 

[Asstr0naut]

@cheeto : you can order from there, it's 100% secure and original, got all mine from them.
 
The youth version is probably like V2 and Paperbacks. Paperbacks are a cheap version of it. They look almost the same but they are made of plastic and sound has nothing to do with V2.
 
And for those who are wondering what the Qr-code should show :
http://postimg.org/image/9618ag31r/

 

[julian67]

@cheeto : you can order from there, it's 100% secure and original, got all mine from them.

The youth version is probably like V2 and Paperbacks.

I'm not sure that's correct. There isn't much info on the Piston 3 Youth edition that I can find but according to one retailer http://www.tinydeal.com/original-xiaomi-piston-youth-edition-earphones-with-mic-p-149073.html who lists the specs it uses the same metal composite driver and same ported design as the original Piston 3 product. The differences seem to be the flat cable, gold plated vs stainless steel jack, and the different headset controller.

In the Piston 2 versions the drivers were supposedly different between the premium metal version and the plastic version. I have both. Initially I thought they sounded much the same but after a while I realised they do sound different (plastic version slightly thicker bass and more rolled off highs, metal version slightly better controlled bass and neutral mids but some tendency towards hollow sounding highs).

I have the regular Piston 3 but like you I haven't heard the Youth version. Judging just by the limited info out there it ought to sound the same as the Piston 3 and only differ in appearance and feel.

Anyone have both?

If I find someone who ships to UK I might get a Piston 3 Youth just for comparison, but they will have to be really cheap cos I don't need another budget IEM!

 

[julian67]

OK I just ordered a pair from tinydeal and paid for tracked postage by PostNL Registered Air Mail. Grand total less than £10. It should take less than two weeks for delivery and if nobody else has made a hands on (ears on?) comparison between regular Piston 3 and Youth Edition I will do so.

 

[Asstr0naut]

Maybe the difference isn't as big as it was with 2 and paperback, but cheaper price should mean cheaper sound.
I agree about how they sound different, I use the plastic ones when I want to put it in my pockets just to listen to a football game
I am actually waiting for a coupon then I will order Youth version

 

[julian67]

....cheaper price should mean cheaper sound.

So you take the same driver in the same housing and change the price and it sounds different? Interesting. How about take the same driver in the same housing but raise the price by £250? It will now sound better than Shure SE425 or Sennheiser Momentum?

If the two varieties have the same driver in the same shell they will sound the same. If they use different drivers or different shells they may well sound different.

News just in: neither marketing strategies nor fluctuations in price change the physical nature of tangible objects!

 

[Asstr0naut]

Shell isn't exactly the same ?! read that Youth version is made of plastic only .. can't that influence the sound a bit, compared to normal version ?
Just asking, no need to get mad ..

 

[kaiteck]

Shell isn't exactly the same ?! read that Youth version is made of plastic only .. can't that influence the sound a bit, compared to normal version ?

Just asking, no need to get mad ..

Are plastic bad in the first place? Idk im not an engineer :|

 

[julian67]

Shell isn't exactly the same ?! read that Youth version is made of plastic only .. can't that influence the sound a bit, compared to normal version ?

Just asking, no need to get mad ..

Not mad...

The Piston 3 have a mostly plastic shell. The backplate seems to be metallic but everything around and in front of the driver is plastic. It really shouldn't make a difference. Some seriously good IEMs and even full size headphones use plastic exclusively for the shell (see high end Shures for example). A fraction of a gramme of metal is more about marketing. Another (old) IEM I own is the Sennheiser CX 95. Lots of people thought they had metal parts and that this was part of the reason they sounded pretty good. Guess what happens after a two or three years? That cold metallic coating wears off and you find that underneath they are yet another product made from a big blob of plastic. hahahahahaha. Great marketing though....

 

[Yoni1990]

Anyone know if geekbuying is a reliable place to purchase them? Right now they have a sale for $15.99 w/ free shipping.

Really thinking about snagging a pair now.

I got my p3s a few days ago from Geekbuying and it's legit. Also their costumer support told me that this is a 100% original product.
God damn it I ordered them at 21$

 

[cheeto]

I got my p3s a few days ago from Geekbuying and it's legit. Also their costumer support told me that this is a 100% original product.
God damn it I ordered them at 21$

Just ordered a pair, seems like they're going on sale for less than $20 fairly often. Ibuygou had them for $19 and some change last week.

I don't have many iems, but it seems I'm heading to start collecting them. Next purchase is m6 pros.

 

[AlecR]

Think I'll order a pair of Youths too. Aliexpress have them.

 

[n00byn4t3r]

I got my Piston 3.0's in a couple of hours ago, I may end up writing a longer review but I'll list my first impressions here.
Personally I don't understand people saying that these aren't bassy, in my opinion they have a ton of bass compared to what I'm used to.
They sound very nice, especially so for the price. They have without a doubt exceeded my expectations.
The highs are a little much for me still, but maybe that will get better as time goes on.
As for the mids, I would definitely like if they were more pronounced. They sound good but are fairly low.
 
For electronic music they sound very nice, the bass really helps here and the accentuated highs bring out a lot of detail in the music.
With rock/metal music the lacking mids are really noticeable, the vocals fade in to the background compared to the drums/guitars/high hats. They seem to suffer the most with male vocalists compared to female vocalists.
My reference material are a set of Yamaha HS80M monitoring speakers in an acoustically pretty good room, a pair of Sennheiser HD555 and the German-Maestro GMP 8.35D's.
 
Conclusion: for the ~20$ I spent for them they sound really good, maybe some EQing could fix the mids but for electronic music they are good as is.