[Pokato]

I have both the PK1 and E888SP, and the clarity is better with the PK1 hands down. It has more details, much cleaner deep bass, also with a larger soundstage too.

 

[timcwoo]

lol great. After listening to you guys I think I will have to get both the e888's and Pk1's now. forget the PK2.

 

[mercbuggy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by timcwoo /img/forum/go_quote.gif lol great. After listening to you guys I think I will have to get both the e888's and Pk1's now. forget the PK2.

Take care with the gold e888lp version from China. I wanted a backup for my Silver lp pair from 2001. Tried the ebay route and either fake or simply not the same quality (of build and audio) as my 2001 vintage.

Dare I throw in the PK3 and PK1 combination? By all accounts the PK3 is warmer than the PK2 and PK1. At least this way there is no risk with sourcing a E888 that subsequently disappoints - assuming your first E888s were of a similar vintage to mine?

 

[hifiboom]

I bought my 888 from audiocubes or bluetin. I hope they don`t sell chineas efakes.

But to me the 888 has absolutly zero soundstage and room dimension.

Frequency response is really good, almost perfect, but the sound plays too much in my head.
If the pk2/1/3 perform as the 888 and do much better at soundstage they should pretty sound like the classic sony earbuds (mdr-e484,....), which are somewhat my reference.

The old sony earbuds sound way more airy than the new "high-class" fontopia 888 which sounds certainly "flat". There is something in the 888 that makes a "paper_sound", I hardly can explain what I mean.

I hope its not a fake 888, I own:
http://home.arcor.de/rd50info_site/S.../fontopia2.htm

 

[Harry Tuttle]

I don't know how some of you guys can say the pk2 lack bass! maybe it's my source but to me they have way enough bass, it could sound better though. The only thing that could really need more place is the vocals, I find them muffled compared to the mids and bass... I listen to them at about 30% volume with my pcdp so I guess I could drive the pk1? would the vocals be much better?

 

[hifiboom]

it could also be that your source has already a muffled mid range.

 

[Harry Tuttle]

possibly, I got a sony d-e905 with no amp
that doesn't happen with every kind of music, I was listening to Ariane Moffatt (slow pop female singer) and her voice was shining but when I'm listening to rock, it seems the emphasis on the guitar muffles the vocals when I'm not listening at a high volume
is 5mw per channel enough to drive the pk1? because it's way enough to drive the pk2... I'll go deaf if I listen to them at more than 50% volume!

 

[Logman]

Sorry for the delayed response: I use a C&C Box amp. It works pretty well with the PK1's, although I do not own any other amp to compare it to. Even with the Box amp, the PK1 is pretty close to a full sized set of cans.

 

[mercbuggy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hifiboom /img/forum/go_quote.gif I bought my 888 from audiocubes or bluetin. I hope they don`t sell chineas efakes. But to me the 888 has absolutly zero soundstage and room dimension. Frequency response is really good, almost perfect, but the sound plays too much in my head. If the pk2/1/3 perform as the 888 and do much better at soundstage they should pretty sound like the classic sony earbuds (mdr-e484,....), which are somewhat my reference. The old sony earbuds sound way more airy than the new "high-class" fontopia 888 which sounds certainly "flat". There is something in the 888 that makes a "paper_sound", I hardly can explain what I mean. I hope its not a fake 888, I own: http://home.arcor.de/rd50info_site/S.../fontopia2.htm

Your E888s look identical to mine so submit that they are original and I would predict that the grills in picture with R & L on covering the driver are metal. On the ebay sourced gold chinese 'version' the grills were plastic.

The mod that people mention is removing the paper sheet which nestles behind this metal grill. I (after mention of the mod on headfi) removed the paper sheet and this opened the sound up. The gold version did not have the paper sheet as behind the plastic grill was a metal mesh grill that I could not remove.

As I said I keep the E888 to colour flawed recordings, they are quite forgiving. The PK1's can be very revealing & resolve far more detail. I always struggle a little with headphones and the idea that they present a soundstage but can state that the PK1's give space to all the instruments in the mix.

 

[hifiboom]

that sounds pretty good.

btw I don`t know if the L/R thing is metal or plastic looking like metal.
But I did the modding some days ago and infact I had papers in behind the plastic top.

All the old school sony earbuds had metal frontgrills which I think doesn`t degrade the sound as much as the papers and the plastic.

Still I don`t think that 888 is such a good sounding peace of earbud.

The flat sound is best described as an extremly not-burned in headphone, but sadly this did never change after 2 years of using. They still sound flat.

I have high hopes for the Yuins.

BTW I did just order an OVC V30+ on ebay. It wasn`t too expensive and I hope it may be more to my likings than the 888.

Ì will report. I guess, soon or later I will have to order some yuins.

 

[mercbuggy]

Have not heard of OVC but they certainly look the part! Hope all is well on the audio front.

.

 

[willsterstyle]

E888's all the way!!

Until I lost them, they were the best buds I've ever used.

Sorry I've never tried pk2 but definitely recommend E888

 

[timcwoo]

lol.. I bought the e888s on ebay, and although they dont sound too bad (pretty good for a $10 earbud - and thats including shipping), I think they are fake. no paper filter, so its already "modded". I liked my old e888's. I dont like my new ones as much. good thing I saw the yuin PK3 group buy a few days ago and ordered one. I checked the delivery status and I should see a box if PK3's waiting for me on my doorstep when I get home tonight

Ill see how they compare to the supposedly fake e888s.

 

[ClieOS]

Since I own both PK3 and E888 (modded), I can clearly tell you them are on par on SQ. PK3 is more detail and balance, but not as bassy as E888. By this saying, PK2 is a lot better than E888.