Introduction :
Since the past few months I’ve been hooked to IEM's(in-ear motors) and have been trying out a variety of earphones. I found the Soundmagic PL-30 earphones to be pretty satisfactory and they introduced me to Quality Audio. Soon I had the urge to get something even better. My inquisitiveness led me to RE-2. I checked out it's discounted rate at head-direct.com and I was tempted to go for it.
[BREAK=Specifications]
Specifications:
Driver unit : 9mm single Dynamic
Impedence : 32 OHM
Sensitivity : 103dB/1mW
Rate input : 10mw
Max. input : 30mw
Frequency response: 20Hz ~ 18KHZ
[BREAK=Packaging and Accessories]
Packaging and Accessories :
I found the Head-direct's service to be remarkable. The earphones were shipped the next day itself (via EMS Speed Post ), immediately after the order was placed. It reached India in 4 days flat but Mumbai Customs delayed the delivery. The whole package was bubble wrapped and then put in an envelope to prevent any damage while shipping.
The RE-2 comes packed in a leather case, which isn't portable enough to carry it in your pocket. It can mount the RE-2 with its accessories and it still suffices to fit in my Ipod Nano.
Here is the list of accessories that are offered with the RE-2 :-
* 7 ear tips.
(normal S,M,L ear tips ,1 S-bi-flange,1
M-bi-flange ,2 transparent and large bi-flanges)
*a shirt clip which can be detached when not needed.
*2 sets of extra filters.
The accessories supplied are just the bare minimum. A cable winder and soft pouch would have been a good addition. Maybe it's the part of cost cutting, since RE-2 used to be sold for 80-100$ with a smaller cable and extension cable.
In this new revision , a single long cable has been used and there is no extension cable.
I would rate the complete package as 8/10.A soft pouch,and cable winder would have earned them full marks .
[BREAK=Design and Build Quality.]
Design and Build Quality :
The IEM's look like any other generic earphones ,no fancy shape or curves in the design. The earpieces are slightly bigger than the normal IEM's. Like most mid-range In-ears the housing of the drivers is made of plastic.It has a really nice glossy piano black finish which gives it a metallic feel.
At the back of the ear buds is a small circular chrome plate with holes/vents on it for the air to pass. Hence the RE-2 are sort of a semi-open IEM's. We will see in the next section whether it results in reduced isolation and sound leak.
All this makes the RE-2 look simple yet classy. A small "Head-direct RE-2 " metallic label on the cable would have added to the elegant looks. The metallic label was available in the earlier version of RE-2 but has been removed after its upgradation to single cable design.
Build Quality of the earphones is one of the best I have seen till date. The casing of the drivers has a formidable quality of plastic and it feels sturdy. It doesn't give the feeling like that of most of the plastic based earphones and RE-2 are relatively easier on the ears.The cable is also of good quality and is a tad bit thicker than normal earphones cable. The centre of the cable where the left and right channel split , has a small rubber covering for protection.
As the RE series are Head-direct's in-house earphone branding they seem to have done the research well. They have lived up to people’s expectations and have built a top quality image.
8.5/10 for the simple Design and Build Quality.A better cable with lesser microphonics would make it perfect.
[BREAK=Isolation and First Impressions]
Isolation and First Impressions
One thing I’ve noticed with most IEM's is that, you need to try out all the given ear tips to find the perfect seal for isolation and comfort. In the case of RE-2 the transparent hard bi-flanges seem to be the one providing more isolation along with comfort.(in my case).
Due to the semi-open design, the earphones don't provide 100% isolation but the isolation is good enough and better than most IEM's I have tried out(ep-630,PL-30,CX-400 etc.) .One needs to keep in mind that using the right ear-tip to get a good seal is very important.
Also quite a lot of microphonics are present in the earphones. When you have the earphones in your ear with the music turned off ,you can hear the cable rubbing off against your shirt/body.This might be due to the thick cable. Using the provided shirt-clip or routing the cable over the ear helps a lot in reducing the microphonic noise.
The RE-2 is indeed quite ostentatious with its amazing detailing and clarity. It is light years ahead of the Soundmagic PL-30(my previous IEMs). The sound staging is noticeable too; it can make every instrument cognizant and you can actually feel the music pulsating.
But initially the tracks didn't sound fuller. Out of the Box the RE-2 has a good mid-range and treble. I found the bass and the thump to be almost oblivious. They just dont sound perfect and you feel as if something is missing.
The next few days I played some pink and white noise in a loop to burn-in the drivers and get the best out of the RE-2.
The result ? on the next Page......
8.5/10 for the Isolation.
[BREAK=Sound Quality.]
Sound Quality :
I let the earphones burn-in for a total of 60-70 hours to get the best out of them.Even though I mainly listen to only Electronic Dance Music(Trance,Progressive,Uplifting etc.) I’ve tried covering other genres of Music including Heavy metal,Rock,hip-hop,Bollywood music etc with some feedback from Friends.
Test Setup:
My PC-output from Asus Xonar DX.
Ipod Nano 3rd Generation.
Archos 605(friend's).
I would like to mention that I didnt use the earphones much during the Burn-In with pink and white noise. After almost 4-5 days when I checked out the RE-2 ,I could see a huge difference in the overall sound signature .
The RE-2 is nothing short of Amazing. The mids were ultra detailed and spot on, making most tracks and instruments lively. The sound just grips the listener and makes you feel that the earphones do belong to a premium segment.
The sound is textured and highly detailed with the mids shining out and the Highs more prominent now. The bass is perfect and even the Thump kicks in where needed.
The Treble seems to be a bit unnatural and female vocals seem to sound better compared to male vocals. At very high frequencies the treble sounds odd and does roll off.
The separation of instruments and details is unbelievable. The sound-stage is one of the best I’ve ever come across. I just fell in love with the RE-2 to the extent that I almost stopped using the MX-5021 which are really good sounding desktop speakers.
It is the superb mids, adequate bass and the amazing soundstage which makes the RE-2 standout compared to other IEM's of similar price range.
I would love to give it 10/10 for the sound quality but then nothing is perfect and sound is something very subjective.
So the Sound Quality gets a 9/10 from my side.
[BREAK=Conclusion]
Conclusion :
One will have a very difficult time finding such amazing earphones for the price. The similar offerings(in terms of price) from Sennheiser like the CX400/500 stand nowhere in terms of detailing and SQ. No wonder Head direct once charged a premium for these babies. The only other alternative I can think of is the Nuforce-NE7m which is also not officially available in India.
So to conclude, all I can say is that the earphones provide an incredible sound clarity and the aficionados of rock music would especially love it due the emphasis on mid-range. I am sure the other music lovers like me are not in for a disappointment with this one.
Pros:
* no compromise on build quality..
* Incredible mid-range and impressive sound.
* one of the most value for money earphones for 49$ shipped.
Cons:
* lack of added accessories.
* cable sensitive to microphonics.
* some people might find the treble to be a bit high. (subjective)
Overall the earphones get a 9/10 .
PS: I still need to check out the RE-2 along with the Fiio E5 and I’ve heard from a birdie that they sound better with the E5's pumping bass.
Here is Metalspree's review of E5 with a RE-2.
http://www.techenclave.com/reviews-and-previews/review-fiio-e5-headphone-amplifier-141007.html
EDIT : 28/10/09
The RE-2s are now selling for only 29$+10$ Worldwide shipping.(~Rs. 2k). and the RE-2 + E5 combo deal is 39$+15$(shipping). ie.Rs 2.7K.
It cant get any better than this . A total killer deal !!
RE-2
Head-Direct.com | YUIN
RE-2 + RE-0.
Head-Direct.com | YUIN
It's a stock clearance deal so wont last long .Grab it .
Since the past few months I’ve been hooked to IEM's(in-ear motors) and have been trying out a variety of earphones. I found the Soundmagic PL-30 earphones to be pretty satisfactory and they introduced me to Quality Audio. Soon I had the urge to get something even better. My inquisitiveness led me to RE-2. I checked out it's discounted rate at head-direct.com and I was tempted to go for it.
[BREAK=Specifications]
Specifications:
Driver unit : 9mm single Dynamic
Impedence : 32 OHM
Sensitivity : 103dB/1mW
Rate input : 10mw
Max. input : 30mw
Frequency response: 20Hz ~ 18KHZ
[BREAK=Packaging and Accessories]
Packaging and Accessories :
I found the Head-direct's service to be remarkable. The earphones were shipped the next day itself (via EMS Speed Post ), immediately after the order was placed. It reached India in 4 days flat but Mumbai Customs delayed the delivery. The whole package was bubble wrapped and then put in an envelope to prevent any damage while shipping.
The RE-2 comes packed in a leather case, which isn't portable enough to carry it in your pocket. It can mount the RE-2 with its accessories and it still suffices to fit in my Ipod Nano.
Here is the list of accessories that are offered with the RE-2 :-
* 7 ear tips.
(normal S,M,L ear tips ,1 S-bi-flange,1
M-bi-flange ,2 transparent and large bi-flanges)
*a shirt clip which can be detached when not needed.
*2 sets of extra filters.
The accessories supplied are just the bare minimum. A cable winder and soft pouch would have been a good addition. Maybe it's the part of cost cutting, since RE-2 used to be sold for 80-100$ with a smaller cable and extension cable.
In this new revision , a single long cable has been used and there is no extension cable.
I would rate the complete package as 8/10.A soft pouch,and cable winder would have earned them full marks .
[BREAK=Design and Build Quality.]
Design and Build Quality :
The IEM's look like any other generic earphones ,no fancy shape or curves in the design. The earpieces are slightly bigger than the normal IEM's. Like most mid-range In-ears the housing of the drivers is made of plastic.It has a really nice glossy piano black finish which gives it a metallic feel.
At the back of the ear buds is a small circular chrome plate with holes/vents on it for the air to pass. Hence the RE-2 are sort of a semi-open IEM's. We will see in the next section whether it results in reduced isolation and sound leak.
All this makes the RE-2 look simple yet classy. A small "Head-direct RE-2 " metallic label on the cable would have added to the elegant looks. The metallic label was available in the earlier version of RE-2 but has been removed after its upgradation to single cable design.
Build Quality of the earphones is one of the best I have seen till date. The casing of the drivers has a formidable quality of plastic and it feels sturdy. It doesn't give the feeling like that of most of the plastic based earphones and RE-2 are relatively easier on the ears.The cable is also of good quality and is a tad bit thicker than normal earphones cable. The centre of the cable where the left and right channel split , has a small rubber covering for protection.
As the RE series are Head-direct's in-house earphone branding they seem to have done the research well. They have lived up to people’s expectations and have built a top quality image.
8.5/10 for the simple Design and Build Quality.A better cable with lesser microphonics would make it perfect.
[BREAK=Isolation and First Impressions]
Isolation and First Impressions
One thing I’ve noticed with most IEM's is that, you need to try out all the given ear tips to find the perfect seal for isolation and comfort. In the case of RE-2 the transparent hard bi-flanges seem to be the one providing more isolation along with comfort.(in my case).
Due to the semi-open design, the earphones don't provide 100% isolation but the isolation is good enough and better than most IEM's I have tried out(ep-630,PL-30,CX-400 etc.) .One needs to keep in mind that using the right ear-tip to get a good seal is very important.
Also quite a lot of microphonics are present in the earphones. When you have the earphones in your ear with the music turned off ,you can hear the cable rubbing off against your shirt/body.This might be due to the thick cable. Using the provided shirt-clip or routing the cable over the ear helps a lot in reducing the microphonic noise.
The RE-2 is indeed quite ostentatious with its amazing detailing and clarity. It is light years ahead of the Soundmagic PL-30(my previous IEMs). The sound staging is noticeable too; it can make every instrument cognizant and you can actually feel the music pulsating.
But initially the tracks didn't sound fuller. Out of the Box the RE-2 has a good mid-range and treble. I found the bass and the thump to be almost oblivious. They just dont sound perfect and you feel as if something is missing.
The next few days I played some pink and white noise in a loop to burn-in the drivers and get the best out of the RE-2.
The result ? on the next Page......
8.5/10 for the Isolation.
[BREAK=Sound Quality.]
Sound Quality :
I let the earphones burn-in for a total of 60-70 hours to get the best out of them.Even though I mainly listen to only Electronic Dance Music(Trance,Progressive,Uplifting etc.) I’ve tried covering other genres of Music including Heavy metal,Rock,hip-hop,Bollywood music etc with some feedback from Friends.
Test Setup:
My PC-output from Asus Xonar DX.
Ipod Nano 3rd Generation.
Archos 605(friend's).
I would like to mention that I didnt use the earphones much during the Burn-In with pink and white noise. After almost 4-5 days when I checked out the RE-2 ,I could see a huge difference in the overall sound signature .
The RE-2 is nothing short of Amazing. The mids were ultra detailed and spot on, making most tracks and instruments lively. The sound just grips the listener and makes you feel that the earphones do belong to a premium segment.
The sound is textured and highly detailed with the mids shining out and the Highs more prominent now. The bass is perfect and even the Thump kicks in where needed.
The Treble seems to be a bit unnatural and female vocals seem to sound better compared to male vocals. At very high frequencies the treble sounds odd and does roll off.
The separation of instruments and details is unbelievable. The sound-stage is one of the best I’ve ever come across. I just fell in love with the RE-2 to the extent that I almost stopped using the MX-5021 which are really good sounding desktop speakers.
It is the superb mids, adequate bass and the amazing soundstage which makes the RE-2 standout compared to other IEM's of similar price range.
I would love to give it 10/10 for the sound quality but then nothing is perfect and sound is something very subjective.
So the Sound Quality gets a 9/10 from my side.
[BREAK=Conclusion]
Conclusion :
One will have a very difficult time finding such amazing earphones for the price. The similar offerings(in terms of price) from Sennheiser like the CX400/500 stand nowhere in terms of detailing and SQ. No wonder Head direct once charged a premium for these babies. The only other alternative I can think of is the Nuforce-NE7m which is also not officially available in India.
So to conclude, all I can say is that the earphones provide an incredible sound clarity and the aficionados of rock music would especially love it due the emphasis on mid-range. I am sure the other music lovers like me are not in for a disappointment with this one.
Pros:
* no compromise on build quality..
* Incredible mid-range and impressive sound.
* one of the most value for money earphones for 49$ shipped.
Cons:
* lack of added accessories.
* cable sensitive to microphonics.
* some people might find the treble to be a bit high. (subjective)
Overall the earphones get a 9/10 .
PS: I still need to check out the RE-2 along with the Fiio E5 and I’ve heard from a birdie that they sound better with the E5's pumping bass.
Here is Metalspree's review of E5 with a RE-2.
http://www.techenclave.com/reviews-and-previews/review-fiio-e5-headphone-amplifier-141007.html
EDIT : 28/10/09
The RE-2s are now selling for only 29$+10$ Worldwide shipping.(~Rs. 2k). and the RE-2 + E5 combo deal is 39$+15$(shipping). ie.Rs 2.7K.
It cant get any better than this . A total killer deal !!
RE-2
Head-Direct.com | YUIN
RE-2 + RE-0.
Head-Direct.com | YUIN
It's a stock clearance deal so wont last long .Grab it .
