[Idsynchrono_24]

The largest stock tips fit perfectly for me. DX90 > Tralucent T1 > Tenore provides a truly breathtaking listening experience. I cannot believe that these inexpensive little guys can play with the best I have ever owned! I did order a set of Basso's and they are due to arrive today. I really wanted to compare the 2 but will likely not keep both. I don't think my opinion of their performance is fanboyism, as I really wasn't expecting much at that price.

Ha, glad you got on board!

 

[roy_jones]

The largest stock tips fit perfectly for me. DX90 > Tralucent T1 > Tenore provides a truly breathtaking listening experience. I cannot believe that these inexpensive little guys can play with the best I have ever owned! I did order a set of Basso's and they are due to arrive today. I really wanted to compare the 2 but will likely not keep both. I don't think my opinion of their performance is fanboyism, as I really wasn't expecting much at that price.

 
Wait till you figure out you've been wasting huge $$ on your source and cables! 

 

[DannyBai]

I have M6 phones and all the tips that are in the box, including the double flange and I don't like the sound I get over stock tips. But lately the tips of choise are sony hybrids. I have also MH1 coming, some other sony phones and some UE tips from lunashop.

Anyway, with sony hybrids I have a boost in all frequencies from bass to treble. Everything is more clear and detailed, bass is stronger and textured and extends very low wich I like, mids more forward and the vocals sound exactly how Grayson described with the solist being right there with you in your living room and then is the treble that extends so high and sound so natural with every cymbals diferentiate from eachothers tonality and sound. No more that bloat and mushy sound that I got from pistons and even from vsd1s on some extent, you hear every instrument clear and intense and the sound is way more detailed.

About DannyBai's impresions, I didn't heard the ostry's, but everything with more bass than tenores I think will start to be in the basshead teritory. Maybe he didn't had the right tips for his ears. The tenores don't lack bass whatsoever, I really think their bass is more than enough in quantity and very good in quality. But yeah, I consider them my perfect match for a sound signature and love them so much.

I usually use the stock tips or the Sony hybrids as well. I agree with you on the bass of the Tenore's. I wouldn't want much more and find the Tenore's about perfect in all areas. I started out as a basshead, so I still have those tendencies.

 

[the_thatguy]

So which service do you guys prefer for buying these, Tenso or whiterabbit?

 

[the_thatguy]

   
Wait till you figure out you've been wasting huge $$ on your source and cables! 

Oooh look at this guy..

 

[BenF]

  So which service do you guys prefer for buying these, Tenso or whiterabbit?

BuySmartJapan - takes Paypal and doesn't require to send ID photocopies.
http://kakaku.com/item/K0000398152/

 

[Grayson73]

  So which service do you guys prefer for buying these, Tenso or whiterabbit?

I guess you can't buy from Amazon nor Ebay?
 
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B0093VVP0Q/sr=/qid=/ref=olp_tab_all?ie=UTF8&colid=&coliid=&me=&qid=&seller=&sr=
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ZERO-AUDIO-Inner-Ear-Stereo-Headphones-CARBO-TENORE-ZH-DX200-CT-/251515463227

 

[HiFlight]

After spending most of the day comparing the Basso and Tenore, I can make some general comments regarding the differences (and similarities) between the two. Granted these comparisons are made without any significant burn-in time, but I always like to start with "out-of-the-box" phones just to get an idea of where things begin. In many, but not all, cases, I note little, if any, difference over time. Two notable exceptions are the Cardas Mirrors and Sony F1, both of which benefit from a lot of play hours.

First off, I found that for my ears, the Tenore is a much more comfortable and "forgetable" fit even when using the same size tips. Just the difference in body thickness between the two phones makes for a significant difference in comfort to me.

It seems to me that both phones were designed considering the psychoacoustic properties of the Fletcher-Munson audio curves, which shows that our ears are most sensitive to frequencies in the 3-4Khz with both higher and lower frequencies being rolled off as volume decreases.

An issue that I have with many phones is that they are apparently tuned for rather specific volume levels and can sound considerably different than intended at higher or lower volumes. Consider the fact that nearly all live music, whether rock, classical, pop, whatever, is normally heard live at higher volume levels than are typically used in most home environments. As the volume decreases, the highs and lows also (to our ears) decrease in amplitude. By designing a phone that is boosted in both high and low frequencies, we can listen at lower levels and still appreciate the subtleties of the music represented by these frequencies. The decrease in apparent loudness with a decrease in volume is considerably more apparent with the lower frequencies hence they are usually boosted more than the highs.

The Basso seems to me a much more pleasant listen at lower volumes, where the boosted lows compensate for the overall reduced volume level. By the same token, the Tenore begins to sound rather thin at lower volume levels but really comes into its own as we increase the listening volume and begin to approach live performance levels. At these higher volume levels, the Basso sounds to me to be too bassy and "in-your-face", thus distracting me from the music itself.

This is not to say that one is a better headphone than the other, rather they are, I think, designed to each accurately reproduce the source material at rather different volume levels. For bassheads, the Basso at higher volumes will likely be the phone of choice, whereas those looking for a well-balanced sound at higher, more live-performance volume levels will probably find the Tenore to be the more satisfying choice.

As I listen to vocal, jazz and classical music at levels near live performances (which is probably around 85-90 db) I personally find the Tenore to be my favorite, as my attention is never drawn to any specific part of the frequency spectrum. If I were to listen to this same music at a much lower overall volume level, I would find the Basso to sound quite pleasing.

It was fun spending time comparing the Basso and Tenore with many different types of music and at differing playback levels. Both phones offer enormous bang for the buck...

Pay your money and take your choice....(or both!)

 

[HiFlight]

Ha, glad you got on board!

How could I not? I have so little will-power!

 

[99SiR]

Very nice comparison HiFlight!  Never even crossed my mind they could behave differently at different listening volumes, but it does make a lot of sense.  Good info for people like me who are trying to decide!

 

[Leo888]

Thanks HiFlight for the thoughts. Learn something from your post and totally agree that the Basso is most suited for lower volume listening. I kind of always listen to the Basso at low volume unknowingly.

 

[shotgunshane]

I tried the doppios. They are nice. But they do not have the bandwidth of the Tenore, nor the upper mid presence. I find the Tenore more tonally and technically accurate for those reasons. The doppio is a more relaxed/laidback and smoothed experience.

 

[waynes world]

 

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

After spending most of the day comparing the Basso and Tenore, I can make some general comments regarding the differences (and similarities) between the two. Granted these comparisons are made without any significant burn-in time, but I always like to start with "out-of-the-box" phones just to get an idea of where things begin. In many, but not all, cases, I note little, if any, difference over time. Two notable exceptions are the Cardas Mirrors and Sony F1, both of which benefit from a lot of play hours.

First off, I found that for my ears, the Tenore is a much more comfortable and "forgetable" fit even when using the same size tips. Just the difference in body thickness between the two phones makes for a significant difference in comfort to me.

It seems to me that both phones were designed considering the psychoacoustic properties of the Fletcher-Munson audio curves, which shows that our ears are most sensitive to frequencies in the 3-4Khz with both higher and lower frequencies being rolled off as volume decreases.

An issue that I have with many phones is that they are apparently tuned for rather specific volume levels and can sound considerably different than intended at higher or lower volumes. Consider the fact that nearly all live music, whether rock, classical, pop, whatever, is normally heard live at higher volume levels than are typically used in most home environments. As the volume decreases, the highs and lows also (to our ears) decrease in amplitude. By designing a phone that is boosted in both high and low frequencies, we can listen at lower levels and still appreciate the subtleties of the music represented by these frequencies. The decrease in apparent loudness with a decrease in volume is considerably more apparent with the lower frequencies hence they are usually boosted more than the highs.

The Basso seems to me a much more pleasant listen at lower volumes, where the boosted lows compensate for the overall reduced volume level. By the same token, the Tenore begins to sound rather thin at lower volume levels but really comes into its own as we increase the listening volume and begin to approach live performance levels. At these higher volume levels, the Basso sounds to me to be too bassy and "in-your-face", thus distracting me from the music itself.

This is not to say that one is a better headphone than the other, rather they are, I think, designed to each accurately reproduce the source material at rather different volume levels. For bassheads, the Basso at higher volumes will likely be the phone of choice, whereas those looking for a well-balanced sound at higher, more live-performance volume levels will probably find the Tenore to be the more satisfying choice.

As I listen to vocal, jazz and classical music at levels near live performances (which is probably around 85-90 db) I personally find the Tenore to be my favorite, as my attention is never drawn to any specific part of the frequency spectrum. If I were to listen to this same music at a much lower overall volume level, I would find the Basso to sound quite pleasing.

It was fun spending time comparing the Basso and Tenore with many different types of music and at differing playback levels. Both phones offer enormous bang for the buck...

Pay your money and take your choice....(or both!)

 
Thanks HiFlight. Maybe I missed it, but have you heard the KC06's? I'd be interested in your take on them compared to the Tenores.
 
 

  I guess you can't buy from Amazon nor Ebay?
 
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B0093VVP0Q/sr=/qid=/ref=olp_tab_all?ie=UTF8&colid=&coliid=&me=&qid=&seller=&sr=
 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ZERO-AUDIO-Inner-Ear-Stereo-Headphones-CARBO-TENORE-ZH-DX200-CT-/251515463227

 
Damn you for posting links like that - I just about clicked "Place our order"!

 

[Inks]

The Tenores are much better than the Bassos IMO and most users prefer the Tenores from what I've read. The bass is just right. I was actually going to complain a bit that the bass may be lacking a bit but went back to Sony Hybrids and definitely do not think so anymore. Any less will be lacking and any more would just darken them for no reason.

These are hard to fault, maybe I would prefer a bit more bass body, but this is a micro driver and for this type of IEM, the bass is as great as it can get and it's definitely better bass than any BA and MAs that I've heard.

 

[the_thatguy]

 
BuySmartJapan - takes Paypal and doesn't require to send ID photocopies.
http://kakaku.com/item/K0000398152/

 
Just ordered them for $62 total.I hope that they are better than the ath-im50s.