So I just got my EPH100 from shotgunshane! Initial impressions: I like them a LOT but they are not perfect for me. I prefer a slightly warmer tonality, personally; these don't sound clinical, but there was a kind of warmth missing from their presentation that was the only thing about the W3s that appealed highly to my personal taste. Detail is great, not quite up to the W3s but still really good. The mids are slightly forward but not overly intimate and they portray space very well between different sounds. Bass extension is really good, punch could be better though, it feels a little mushy, not in that it lacks control, but it's a little overly biased in favor of subbass>midbass for my taste. It clearly presents rumble over punch; personally I prefer a balance of the two. Thebass is not forward enough for me, but it has fairly high quantity, more subbass than the SE215 and W3 but less midbass than both. The bass texture and definition is really great, not muddy, the way it presents with the mids has no bleed at all. Soundstaging is REALLY good on the whole; the stage isn't huge, but instruments and sounds are differentiated in depth in a way that makes you feel like you are maybe in a small bar. Soundstage depth is decent, obviously better than my SE215s but not quite as deep as the W3. The presentation is more coherent and clear on the whole than either, but I find it less lifelike because it seems to lack any real warmth. It doesn't sound quite clinical, its not overly clean and note decay is very realistic in my opinion, but...well, for example, hearing live music through these sounds more like hearing live music on speakers than hearing it live, whereas the warmth in my Phiaton MS400 and SE215 gives a sensuality, a certain fullness to live music and vocals that is the closest thing, in MY opinion, to hearing a person actually sing. From memory, the Fischer Audio Eterna, Klipsh X10, and, to a lesser extent but still noticeable, the W3 gave me a similar impression, but the EPH100 doesn't. For me, the lack of this warmth decreases the "wow" factor of the headphones; while their overall presentation is very coherent, spacious, and balanced, and despite the vocals being pleasantly forward without being overly intimate, the sound is just a bit too much on the "clear" side for me. I wouldn't call them bright or dark, mostly neutral; a tad too bright for my preference. THIS IS PURELY SPECULATION but I find that they sound a lot like I had imagined the EX600 to sound from reading reviews, only with more bass and less treble. To be really honest, they sound a lot like really balanced car speakers
Listening to them...
Modest Mouse is great, sounds like it should: the vocals have a healthy airiness to them, guitars are presented just behind vocals except in sections where they've been tailored to be more forward. Guitars aren't quite crunchy but are very detailed; if these phones had a little warmth, they would do wonders with guitar. Kick drums are a little underwhelming, the midbass comes in on top meaning that the boom of the kick drum drowns out the impact and prevents them from achieving a truly "live" sound with most rock, including Modest Mouse.
Infected mushroom is a mixed bag. Personally these almost make me miss the midbass punch from the W3s, but I have to say the overall presentation is one that I definitely prefer. I will preface this all with the fact that Infected is where I miss the warmth the most, their midbass dependent and heavily textured sound benefits a LOT from liquidy, slightly warmed up/colored mids like I find in the SE215, MS400, FA Eterna, and Klipsch X10, it really gives their tracks a fullness and almost imperial sound that I am truly addicted to. The EPH100 give it a good run for the money, they render music like IM and Sphongle in a way that I'm sure will please a lot of people who enjoy this music for its intricacies and textures, and like to hear these in a very realistic presentation. Me, I'm a bit more of a basshead
And that's not to say the Yamahas lack bass in any way; their extension is pretty impressive and quantity is above average, but they have less punch somewhere in the bass than I want for Infected. That said, the beginning of Sa'eed has never been so deceptive, and for music as layered, and sometimes even crowded as Infected Mushroom, the Yamahas keep up as well or better than anything I've heard yet. From my experience, only the W3s beat them in having the agility and dynamics to truly do justice to music like Infected Mushroom. In this sense I think the W3s, being triple BAs and very capable IEMs, would be hard to approach; that being said, the Yamahas put up a respectable fight.
Now that I mention them, Shpongle is great, probably the best sound yet. If these phones are made for one thing, this is it. Enough subbass for the crazy textures, well-separated and distinct mids, and treble that can shimmer when called for. The instrument separation works wonders for all the different sounds and effects that Shpongle use. This is a great match.
Beethoven is great. I would prefer a slightly more aggressive presentation for such emotional music, but the Yamahas are very musical and its acuity in placing instruments at distinct depths and locations REALLY shines with a big orchestra. Violins, brass and drums manage to sound slightly out-of-head, while woodwinds and violas remain intimate. The presentation of the Yamahas is really impressive here, everything is so well-layered and placed compared to my past phones; truth be told, it's soundstaging is superior to my Phiaton MS400 in some ways, which are fully circumaural on me after some slight modding. Pianos are placed well, the impact of hammers is audible on more firmly played notes. Overall I would like a little more intimacy and aggression for Beethoven, as he comprises the majority of my classical listening, but the soundstaging and instrument placement more than makes up for it. These are my favorite phones for classical to date.
Bob Dylan sounds great. Vocals are right up front with guitar just far enough behind to not sully Dylan's raspy intimations, which are presented, like Modest Mouse, with just the right amount of air/breathiness. Harmonicas have nice grit but are polite and non-sibilant. These do acoustic guitar pretty well IMO, a nice roundness but still decent texture.
Led Zeppelin is underwhelming. Drums are not quite what I want them to be, and the signature is too polite for gritty vocals and electric guitar to really shine. It doesn't sound bad, just nothing special. Songs that are acoustic-oriented, like Gallows Pole and That's The Way, sound better, the layering and definition are more appreciable here
Massive attack is great. The bass really shines in songs like Angel and Protection, it presents the rumble and depth of the openings of both of these tracks really well while never getting muddy. Alto and tenor vocals come through very clear and with just the right amount of air. This is another group, like Sphongle, whose intricate instrumentations and effects really shine with the Yamahas capacity for separation and placement, especially for
Amanda Palmer is presented respectably. Again the alto vocals are really nice on these, nice amount of air but subtly intimate, which pretty much guarantees a wind with Palmer. Piano is nice but some of the lower notes dont quite feel full enough for me. Vocals are always in front of the piano but the piano gets a little too loud in comparison sometimes, and is somehow a little sibilant/fatiguing at times.
Other stuff...
Build quality is good overall, the cable is a bit springy but doesn't prevent over-ear wearing. It's reasonably thick, a bit microphonic when worn, but, again, over-ear fit is easy and not awkward at all. Tip selection is good, 5 sizes of double flange, I prefer the small or extra-smalls to get the tips as deep as possible. That said, because of the driver placement, they can't be placed too deep. The Yamahas are fairly forgiving of low-bitrate MP3s; my assorted random Eminem tracks in 128kbps are tolerable for what they are, and their flaws are not highlighted by the EPH100; the Yamahas don't work any magic though, they aren't substantially colored so low bitrate stuff still sounds mediocre and thin. The cable connector is an L-jack that could be a little beefier but the strain relief is adequate.
I have to say, the more I listen to these, the more I like them.
