Introduction:
This is the first time I am reviewing something I don’t own. Thanks to haraakiri for trusting me with his RE1 and for patiently waiting till I completed this review.
In general, we hear so much stuff about RE0, RE-ZERO, RE-252/262, but not much about RE1. In fact, I don’t think it’s even talked about as much as some of the Yuin earbuds. With not so many reviews and hype around, it was never on my radar. BF1983 raving about it’s sound stage recently is what got me interested.
This review is actually too long. For brevity, I’ve split into a review and comparison notes between a few of my IEMs and RE1. I don’t like doing reviews the same way, so in this review I am taking a slightly different approach and explaining the reasons on why I don’t like RE1 that much. Hope it doesn’t bore the hell out of you.
Photos (Sorry for the crappy quality, as usual :ashamed
From Left to Right: The Packing Contents, Inside the RE1 Case, RE1 up close, RE1 and Maverick TubeMagic D1 (with 2 x Audio-GD Sun Dual Opamp and Western Electric 1953 396A Tube in Pre-out) with the not so good looking modded top removed, The Test “bed†used for comparison :: Source: Rockboxed Clip+ -> NuForce Transient 3.5 to 3.5 -> iBasso T3 (bundled using NuForce Silicone band), IEMs from Top to Bottom – Head-Direct RE1, Panasonic HJE900, Head-Direct RE0, Hippo VB, Xears TD100-I
Specifications:
External factors
Accessories & Packing: The “Dragon†comes in a leather case, which makes me feel short changed about the RE-252 packing. Inside, you’ll find the usual Head-direct accessories: Three sizes of single flanges, bi-flanges, shirt clip and filters.
Build Quality: Strangely, I don’t have much to complain here. The cloth cable feels decent enough for me. The Y-split and the cord cinch / slider are both plastic and the termination is a gold colored right angled plug. The strain relief is thicker, but is it sturdier? I hope so. Only the gold back with vents behind the housing seems to have survived from the initial review samples clieOS reviewed here.
Fit & Comfort: Not much of an issue here. I can wear them both straight down as well as over the ear without any issues.
Isolation: I am using the stock bi-flanges. Isolation is decent enough for me. My 35dB+ fan sounds muffled without music playing, so at least a cut of 20dB, I guess.
Microphonics: I’ve not even bothered to use the shirt clip so far. I did not observe any microphonics when wearing straight down or over the ear.
The Sound
One of the good things about getting a loaner for review is that I save time on doing a burn-in myself. In the good faith that haraakiri would have already completed the pre-requisite 2500 hour burn-in, let’s jump right in
Initial Impressions:
The first impressions were largely positive. There was a wide sound stage, mids were excellent, bass was just enough. But treble was recessed. The presentation was laid back and there was only one word that came to my mind – “Sleepyâ€. After sometime, I tried to run my regular test files and figured there was something wrong. The bass did not seem to extend much. All I could hear was mids. When directly connected to Clip+, I had no perception of depth from the sound stage. Sure! Instruments were placed in rows, but it was similar to using only the last 3 and a random 3 middle rows out of the 20 rows available. I then tried amping using iBasso T3 to which it responded a bit.
Frequency Response Tests :
Then, I ran the frequency test files from Focal Audio Demo Disc #2. I could perceive a drop below 100Hz, after which 63Hz was audible, but 50Hz was only barely audible. I then connected it to uDAC-1 and could hear only up-to 40Hz at my maximum tolerable volume. In the mids, there was a slight bump around the 1 Khz range (600-1600 Hz is roughly where I hear). I ran the frequency sweeps available in the same disc. I felt that the treble was less loud than the mids and I won’t be surprised if there’s an early roll-off as well. But, within my limits, I could not figure out exactly where the descent begins, probably towards the end of the upper midrange itself. To compensate, I tried a very V-shaped EQ in S9.
Due to this kind of frequency response, there’s hardly any hint of sibilance. Combine it with the good mids and you got a frequency response similar to SE-530, FWIR (See here: DBA-02 vs. SE530/535, W2/UM2, W3/UM3, SM3 - Head-Fi.org Community). Don’t know if it was a deliberate tuning on the part of Head-Direct.
Frequency Response :
Bass has decent quantity, but lacks the extension. At times, it sounds like a mid-bass hump much like RE0. But, with STX and lot of EQ-ing with foobar, I could get a decently impactful bass. It still will lack the low bass rumble, which is the territory of IEMs like DDM.
Treble is another trouble area for RE1. Usually, most of my IEMs lack one, but do well on the other two aspects of the spectrum, but not RE1. Treble is recessed and lacks the details most of the time. Switching from RE1 to RE0 at times makes me think that I am hearing a whole new song. With EQ-ing, treble responds a tad better than the bass. It still is far from matching RE0 in detail and extension, but then it doesn’t have to. (Just as I was ready to post this review, I found this post from antonyfirst on head-fi about the treble on RE1: HifiMan HM-602 and RE-262 review (and thoughts about synergies with other gear) - Head-Fi.org Community)
The mids are where RE1 shines. It is smooth, non-fatiguing, reasonably well detailed. RE-252 is effortless in detail retrieval here. Though it lacks that kind of finesse, I can say this is where RE1’s heart and soul resides.
Presentation :
Sound Stage is very wide. In fact when combined with a powerful headphone amplifier like uDAC-1, Essence STX or Maverick D1, it can give you the illusion of listening through headphones. The sound stage also has a good amount of depth. Initially, I had lot of trouble perceiving depth. Sound stage / headstage at the end of the day is based on perception of where the extreme sound tidbits are positioned. In the music I regularly listen to, these extreme elements are made of cymbals (perceive where the drummer is in relation to vocalist) or bassy elements (tiny effects). Since, un-EQed and un-amped RE1 is a little handicapped in both areas, it had trouble conveying the extent of the sound stage to me, particularly in the depth department. Once properly EQ-ed and Amp-ed, the perception improved a lot. I’d have liked if there was more air around the instruments though.
Separation and placement of instruments is good enough, but I cannot call it great because some of my other IEMs seem to beat the RE1 in that department. DBA-02s have incredibly small headspace. If RE1 was a football ground, DBA-02 will be a small room in comparison. But the way it uses that space to present things is engaging. Similarly HJE900 has it’s own holographic imaging, as is DDM which is even more unique. RE1 does not have that engaging presentation for me.
Dyamic range is very good with RE1. I cannot call RE1 fast. But it’s understandable since they came before RE0.
My issues with RE1
Overall, due to the lack of sibilance, I can say that RE1 has a fatigue free sound. But, I prefer something like Hippo Pearl, which produces a bland, but balanced presentation. To me, losing half of the song for the excellent mids is not an option.
Who wouldn’t want a huge sound stage? But, it’s not the only factor on which I base my judgment. For me, it’s just one of the elements which makes the overall presentation enjoyable, not the be all and end all of the things I look for.
Of late, I am resorting to low volume listening (compared to my previous listening levels) more and more. This is in order to preserve what’s left of my already rolled-off hearing. I cannot do that with RE1. Sure they can be driven reasonably well even out of a Clip+. I’d say around -5dB (as against my normal -21 to -31 dB for other IEMs) out of Rockboxed Clip+ is enough to get decent loudness out of RE1. But, it’s not the proper amplification for RE1 to shine through. RE1 not only requires proper amping, but also seems to get better with higher volumes. Even with STX, it seemed to get better when I increased the volume in foobar.
That’s where my other problem lies. I don’t like to sit around and listen through a PC; I’d rather use speakers for that purpose. In many ways, RE1 feels more like a headphone than an IEM. If I had a powerful enough source + amp combo, I may not feel this way.
Last, but not the least, all these minor faults are amplified by the fact that I am listening to RE1 probably a year late. If I had tried RE1 first, then RE0 and later on my other IEMs, I’d probably still be in love with RE1. Since my perception of what makes up a good SQ has already been changed to a large extent by DBA-02, DDM, RE-252 and HJE900, I am finding more faults with RE1 than enjoying its strengths. To add to the woes, I am more used to the ‘excesses’ like treble of RE0/DBA-02, bass of DDM/HJE900/Xears TD100/Hippo VB and details of RE0/ DBA-02/RE252 etc., IMHO, excess can be excused or EQ-ed. Deficiencies cannot be corrected the same way.
Value for Money
Due to the higher power requirement, it cannot be valued stand-alone. For somebody who already has a source or an amp to drive it properly, it’s a good choice. $80 range is a crowded market with the more analytical RE0, fun IEMs like Hippo VB, HJE900, balanced ones like Brainwavz M3 (which I’ve not heard yet) and many more options, some of which are even cheaper. At the time of it’s release and subsequent pricing at $80, RE1 would have been a good choice. But not today, so I’d venture to say that RE1 is not value for money as on date.
Conclusion
I’ve put down RE1 in several ways. But, it’s not a “bad†IEM at all. It’s strengths lie in the mids and the wide sound stage. It’s weaknesses include the necessity to EQ, Amp and drive it loud. A “desktop IEMâ€, may be. Let me also say that if it did not have at least one of the issues, say if it was easier to drive, or had a bit more bass quantity and/or extension or a bit more treble while retaining the strength in mids, I may have praised it for it’s strengths than zooming in on their perceived weaknesses.
Ranking in my list
When not amped properly, it certainly ranks below even my Tier-II IEMs like Hippo VB, Xears TD100.
Properly amped, it could create a new tier like 1B/1C just below RE0/PFE/HJE900.
But, since I mostly use my IEMs on the move or for background listening, I still would place it in Tier-II.
Is it for ME?
I love mids AND have a proper source to drive them – Yes
I hate sibilance, too much treble is trouble – Yes
I love a wide sound stage – Yes
I hate carrying an amp around / Hate higher volume levels / I like the deepest bass extension / I love treble / I need a balanced presentation where nothing jumps out / I need a fun presentation – Please look elsewhere
This is the first time I am reviewing something I don’t own. Thanks to haraakiri for trusting me with his RE1 and for patiently waiting till I completed this review.
In general, we hear so much stuff about RE0, RE-ZERO, RE-252/262, but not much about RE1. In fact, I don’t think it’s even talked about as much as some of the Yuin earbuds. With not so many reviews and hype around, it was never on my radar. BF1983 raving about it’s sound stage recently is what got me interested.
This review is actually too long. For brevity, I’ve split into a review and comparison notes between a few of my IEMs and RE1. I don’t like doing reviews the same way, so in this review I am taking a slightly different approach and explaining the reasons on why I don’t like RE1 that much. Hope it doesn’t bore the hell out of you.
Photos (Sorry for the crappy quality, as usual :ashamed
From Left to Right: The Packing Contents, Inside the RE1 Case, RE1 up close, RE1 and Maverick TubeMagic D1 (with 2 x Audio-GD Sun Dual Opamp and Western Electric 1953 396A Tube in Pre-out) with the not so good looking modded top removed, The Test “bed†used for comparison :: Source: Rockboxed Clip+ -> NuForce Transient 3.5 to 3.5 -> iBasso T3 (bundled using NuForce Silicone band), IEMs from Top to Bottom – Head-Direct RE1, Panasonic HJE900, Head-Direct RE0, Hippo VB, Xears TD100-I
Specifications:
- Driver Diameter: 9mm
- Impedance: 150 Ohm
- Sensitivity: 103 db/ mw
- Frequency Response: 20 Hz to 18kHz
External factors
Accessories & Packing: The “Dragon†comes in a leather case, which makes me feel short changed about the RE-252 packing. Inside, you’ll find the usual Head-direct accessories: Three sizes of single flanges, bi-flanges, shirt clip and filters.
Build Quality: Strangely, I don’t have much to complain here. The cloth cable feels decent enough for me. The Y-split and the cord cinch / slider are both plastic and the termination is a gold colored right angled plug. The strain relief is thicker, but is it sturdier? I hope so. Only the gold back with vents behind the housing seems to have survived from the initial review samples clieOS reviewed here.
Fit & Comfort: Not much of an issue here. I can wear them both straight down as well as over the ear without any issues.
Isolation: I am using the stock bi-flanges. Isolation is decent enough for me. My 35dB+ fan sounds muffled without music playing, so at least a cut of 20dB, I guess.
Microphonics: I’ve not even bothered to use the shirt clip so far. I did not observe any microphonics when wearing straight down or over the ear.
The Sound
One of the good things about getting a loaner for review is that I save time on doing a burn-in myself. In the good faith that haraakiri would have already completed the pre-requisite 2500 hour burn-in, let’s jump right in
Initial Impressions:
The first impressions were largely positive. There was a wide sound stage, mids were excellent, bass was just enough. But treble was recessed. The presentation was laid back and there was only one word that came to my mind – “Sleepyâ€. After sometime, I tried to run my regular test files and figured there was something wrong. The bass did not seem to extend much. All I could hear was mids. When directly connected to Clip+, I had no perception of depth from the sound stage. Sure! Instruments were placed in rows, but it was similar to using only the last 3 and a random 3 middle rows out of the 20 rows available. I then tried amping using iBasso T3 to which it responded a bit.
Frequency Response Tests :
Then, I ran the frequency test files from Focal Audio Demo Disc #2. I could perceive a drop below 100Hz, after which 63Hz was audible, but 50Hz was only barely audible. I then connected it to uDAC-1 and could hear only up-to 40Hz at my maximum tolerable volume. In the mids, there was a slight bump around the 1 Khz range (600-1600 Hz is roughly where I hear). I ran the frequency sweeps available in the same disc. I felt that the treble was less loud than the mids and I won’t be surprised if there’s an early roll-off as well. But, within my limits, I could not figure out exactly where the descent begins, probably towards the end of the upper midrange itself. To compensate, I tried a very V-shaped EQ in S9.
Due to this kind of frequency response, there’s hardly any hint of sibilance. Combine it with the good mids and you got a frequency response similar to SE-530, FWIR (See here: DBA-02 vs. SE530/535, W2/UM2, W3/UM3, SM3 - Head-Fi.org Community). Don’t know if it was a deliberate tuning on the part of Head-Direct.
Frequency Response :
Bass has decent quantity, but lacks the extension. At times, it sounds like a mid-bass hump much like RE0. But, with STX and lot of EQ-ing with foobar, I could get a decently impactful bass. It still will lack the low bass rumble, which is the territory of IEMs like DDM.
Treble is another trouble area for RE1. Usually, most of my IEMs lack one, but do well on the other two aspects of the spectrum, but not RE1. Treble is recessed and lacks the details most of the time. Switching from RE1 to RE0 at times makes me think that I am hearing a whole new song. With EQ-ing, treble responds a tad better than the bass. It still is far from matching RE0 in detail and extension, but then it doesn’t have to. (Just as I was ready to post this review, I found this post from antonyfirst on head-fi about the treble on RE1: HifiMan HM-602 and RE-262 review (and thoughts about synergies with other gear) - Head-Fi.org Community)
The mids are where RE1 shines. It is smooth, non-fatiguing, reasonably well detailed. RE-252 is effortless in detail retrieval here. Though it lacks that kind of finesse, I can say this is where RE1’s heart and soul resides.
Presentation :
Sound Stage is very wide. In fact when combined with a powerful headphone amplifier like uDAC-1, Essence STX or Maverick D1, it can give you the illusion of listening through headphones. The sound stage also has a good amount of depth. Initially, I had lot of trouble perceiving depth. Sound stage / headstage at the end of the day is based on perception of where the extreme sound tidbits are positioned. In the music I regularly listen to, these extreme elements are made of cymbals (perceive where the drummer is in relation to vocalist) or bassy elements (tiny effects). Since, un-EQed and un-amped RE1 is a little handicapped in both areas, it had trouble conveying the extent of the sound stage to me, particularly in the depth department. Once properly EQ-ed and Amp-ed, the perception improved a lot. I’d have liked if there was more air around the instruments though.
Separation and placement of instruments is good enough, but I cannot call it great because some of my other IEMs seem to beat the RE1 in that department. DBA-02s have incredibly small headspace. If RE1 was a football ground, DBA-02 will be a small room in comparison. But the way it uses that space to present things is engaging. Similarly HJE900 has it’s own holographic imaging, as is DDM which is even more unique. RE1 does not have that engaging presentation for me.
Dyamic range is very good with RE1. I cannot call RE1 fast. But it’s understandable since they came before RE0.
My issues with RE1
Overall, due to the lack of sibilance, I can say that RE1 has a fatigue free sound. But, I prefer something like Hippo Pearl, which produces a bland, but balanced presentation. To me, losing half of the song for the excellent mids is not an option.
Who wouldn’t want a huge sound stage? But, it’s not the only factor on which I base my judgment. For me, it’s just one of the elements which makes the overall presentation enjoyable, not the be all and end all of the things I look for.
Of late, I am resorting to low volume listening (compared to my previous listening levels) more and more. This is in order to preserve what’s left of my already rolled-off hearing. I cannot do that with RE1. Sure they can be driven reasonably well even out of a Clip+. I’d say around -5dB (as against my normal -21 to -31 dB for other IEMs) out of Rockboxed Clip+ is enough to get decent loudness out of RE1. But, it’s not the proper amplification for RE1 to shine through. RE1 not only requires proper amping, but also seems to get better with higher volumes. Even with STX, it seemed to get better when I increased the volume in foobar.
That’s where my other problem lies. I don’t like to sit around and listen through a PC; I’d rather use speakers for that purpose. In many ways, RE1 feels more like a headphone than an IEM. If I had a powerful enough source + amp combo, I may not feel this way.
Last, but not the least, all these minor faults are amplified by the fact that I am listening to RE1 probably a year late. If I had tried RE1 first, then RE0 and later on my other IEMs, I’d probably still be in love with RE1. Since my perception of what makes up a good SQ has already been changed to a large extent by DBA-02, DDM, RE-252 and HJE900, I am finding more faults with RE1 than enjoying its strengths. To add to the woes, I am more used to the ‘excesses’ like treble of RE0/DBA-02, bass of DDM/HJE900/Xears TD100/Hippo VB and details of RE0/ DBA-02/RE252 etc., IMHO, excess can be excused or EQ-ed. Deficiencies cannot be corrected the same way.
Value for Money
Due to the higher power requirement, it cannot be valued stand-alone. For somebody who already has a source or an amp to drive it properly, it’s a good choice. $80 range is a crowded market with the more analytical RE0, fun IEMs like Hippo VB, HJE900, balanced ones like Brainwavz M3 (which I’ve not heard yet) and many more options, some of which are even cheaper. At the time of it’s release and subsequent pricing at $80, RE1 would have been a good choice. But not today, so I’d venture to say that RE1 is not value for money as on date.
Conclusion
I’ve put down RE1 in several ways. But, it’s not a “bad†IEM at all. It’s strengths lie in the mids and the wide sound stage. It’s weaknesses include the necessity to EQ, Amp and drive it loud. A “desktop IEMâ€, may be. Let me also say that if it did not have at least one of the issues, say if it was easier to drive, or had a bit more bass quantity and/or extension or a bit more treble while retaining the strength in mids, I may have praised it for it’s strengths than zooming in on their perceived weaknesses.
Ranking in my list
When not amped properly, it certainly ranks below even my Tier-II IEMs like Hippo VB, Xears TD100.
Properly amped, it could create a new tier like 1B/1C just below RE0/PFE/HJE900.
But, since I mostly use my IEMs on the move or for background listening, I still would place it in Tier-II.
Is it for ME?
I love mids AND have a proper source to drive them – Yes
I hate sibilance, too much treble is trouble – Yes
I love a wide sound stage – Yes
I hate carrying an amp around / Hate higher volume levels / I like the deepest bass extension / I love treble / I need a balanced presentation where nothing jumps out / I need a fun presentation – Please look elsewhere
