Random IEM / Headphone Rants

[kenpachiroks]

Haven't tried the RE600 but the 400 seems pretty good straight out of a decent DAP. Used it with the clip+, iPhone 4 and the AK100.

No difference(RE400) when driven by the AK100 and clip+ ?

If there's anything out there that's close to the RE-1 I would love to give it a go. Especially if it has a removeable cable, I've been a bad bad boy today. Couldn't resist the lure of the ALO International any longer

Wow, some serious bucks being burnt.
AK100 + ALO int. Mm..That's going to go great with your new JH13Pro FP

You're going to go all cable crazy now, aren't you?

 

[esanthosh]

@kenpachiroks,

That's a great review. I wish you buy more IEMs and write more reviews

@FaH33m,

Knowing you, you'll like the RE-400.

 

[kenpachiroks]

Brilliant review of RE-400 Kenpachi and Esanthosh . Loved reading them. Brings back old memories of HiFiMan/ Head Direct products . Started with the love for RE-2 ,RE-0 and then RE-252 . Used to love Brendon's RE-1s , one of the best mids and soundstage back then. Wonder why they discontinued old models .
Havent tried any of the new offerings but going by the reviews it seems they have retained their distinct sound signature.
One distinct feature of Head Direct back then was most top IEMs would definitely need an amp to shine . Does the sample apply to new products ?
Would love to try out RE-400 / RE-600 if someone from Mumbai has them .

Thank you. Hope you get to try them soon.
I was in Mumbai a few weeks ago. Oh well...

@kenpachiroks,
That's a great review. I wish you buy more IEMs and write more reviews

Thank you
Can't wait for your review to drop. With your dearth of experience, you will be able to judge where theses iems stand when it comes to value and quality.

Just noticed, the flux is listed at 49.50$. Has you order been shipped?

 

[esanthosh]

Just noticed, the flux is listed at 49.50$. Has you order been shipped?

Not yet. They are still 'Preparing for Shipment'. Understandable since there would be a swamp of orders due to Black Friday/Cyber Monday to handle.

Edit: As I was typing this message, status was changed to Shipped.

RE-400 review will take sometime. I have a few other things coming up...

Aside: I have been really lazy in selling stuff. As a result, most of my gear (including vast majority of IEMs) remain unused. While retaining many IEMs is highly useful when making comparisons to newer IEMs in the price range, it doesn't make sense to let them sleep just for that purpose. Over the next few weeks and months, I plan to compare across IEMs and retain only those that add a unique flavor or element to the collection. I think early/mid January would be the starting point with a permanent FS thread where things will get added as they get eliminated.

 

[kenpachiroks]

Calling all audiophiles!
Looking for a pair of earphones for my mum. Around Rs. 3000.
Neutral, detailed. Very comfortable, preferably small form factor.
Need it by the 15th of this month so that rules out any international purchases.

 

[esanthosh]

Though there are caveats (a little cold sounding mids, VSonic's characteristic hotness in treble), you could consider VC02 (Joker's review). Would come to about 33xx shipped from Hifinage. At a 100/150 or so more, a slightly V-shaped VSD1S could be a better choice. If it is anywhere near as comfortable as GR07, then despite the odd looks, it will be a good choice.

The old SoundMagic PL50 can be considered. But it is OOS at ProAudioHome. Even though it's not exactly neutral or detailed, I'd add SoundMagic E30 as another suggestion to look at.

 

[kenpachiroks]

Yeah, the VSD1S and VC02 were near the top of my list.

Hers what the Joker had to say regarding E30 vs VSD1S vs S1

The E30 does have a nice airy soundstage. Signature-wise the VSD1s (both of them) have more bass and treble compared to the E30. Treble especially, as the E30 tends to be a little soft there. The VSD1S has about as much bass as the E10, but is a bit tighter and quicker. Imaging is a little better with the VSonics as well even if they don't quite have that open sound of the E30.
The S1 isn't much airier than the E30 but it is more balanced than the VSD1/VSD1S, tighter when it comes to bass, slightly clearer, and a little wider in terms of soundstage size.

VC02 vs VSD1S vs Gr06

VC02: Least bass of the VSonic sets, flattest but also brightest overall. Has a little less of the typical VSonic sibilance. Good if you prioritize clarity and don't want any bass enhancement but I wouldn't recommend it over the VSD1S for the average listener.
GR06: Has a little less bass than VSD1/VSD1S but more than VC02. Has the most forward mids. Not a model I recommend with the cheaper VSD1S around.
VSD1S: in my opinion the best compromise between all of the above and the highest performer overall. A little more forgiving of sibilance than the others and has a healthy amount of bass.
Long story short (not really) - get the VSD1/VSD1S unless one of the other sets strongly fits your specific preference.
Bass: These new VSonics deliver more of it than the VC02 without sacrificing much on the clarity front, which to me is a definite win.

Quite a strong case for the VSD1S. Its just the odd shape that's off putting. But then again the swiveling nozzles would make it easier to live with.
(Also I really want to try them )
How durable are Vsonics, in general?
Wish I could get the flux.

 

[esanthosh]

To my knowledge, I haven't seen too many failures when it comes to VSonics, TE or Head-Fi. IIRC, they had some removable cable issues with one of the models.

GR07 was one of the more comfortable ones to wear. No reason to think VSD1S won't be. If I was not restricting myself, I'd have bought VSD1S along with QB2.

 

[hitesh12]

@kenpa
Considered C-12 ?

 

[gunnerwholelife]

Vsd1 is very comfortable.I find them to be more comfortable than gr07be.Isolation is very good.Also headfi folks/vsonic will say vsd1 sounds 80% of gr07 but I disagree.Gr07be is way better.vsd1 has same signature though with a little forward mid presentation and less detail.

 

[abhi_jollyguy]

As per joker, it's VSD1S which sounds 90% closer to GR07 BE and not the VSD1. But again, VSD1 and VSD1S sounds quite closer to each other.

 

[esanthosh]

Thanks to @itsvel06, I now have SE-535 LTD (Red) in my ears. I must say that for the huge premium they demand, SE535LTD does look like a premium product - from the red colored shells to the rope like cable (I'd still buy them only at 50% off ). Since the silicone tips he sent are now under cleaning, I am currently using my own Shure Olives. May be it's just the smoothed edges of the shell, but I could fit them with little effort and time compared to my brief time with SE535. Both bass quantity and treble quantity (and upper mids) have improved from SE535. But, I have little issues with the separation and placement. I sure am liking it more than SE535 as it sounds like a well EQ-ed SE535 that rights the wrongs. Will write a detailed impression later on.

Like: Bass (flatness), Mid range (sweetness), Isolation (great), Low volume listening
Dislike: A little uncomfortable after long listening session, Presentation

 

[manucitc]

I am ordering etymotic research hf2..
Joker's review indicate it's a very vfm iem for 100$, and have best isolation of any iem... Does any one have hand on experience with it?...

 

[esanthosh]

Hands on - http://www.techenclave.com/community/threads/random-iem-headphone-rants.106883/page-69#post-1702308

 

[santhoshr]

@esanthosh thanks for reviewing my 'ex' earphone ;-) I sold it to Vel @itsvel06 and he was persistent on getting good review on those earphones, not 'Shure' if he got what he expected from reading your short review. I have to accept most on what you said like separation/placement, Shures way of doing it at least on 535 is pushing the instruments either side, which I did not like either and uncomfortable after a long session which is another sore point. Not going with you on flat bass, I understand that no impact bass is the reason 535 mid sounds so good, but at the same time it is 'joke' for a bass even for IEM. To me after trying many(ok limited) earphones, I think for tamil/bollywood songs, I love shure's intimate presentation.

 

[esanthosh]

Everything is relative. The reason I liked the flatness can be found in RE-400's short impressions

Anyways, the first tip (long single flange) and the first few tracks I tried made me wonder if I had chosen to buy the wrong IEM. The mid-bass lift was apparent, because sub-bass.. well...... didn't exist. It was annoying because I'd either have liked something flatter in the bass region or something with more quantity. Some of the new music I've been trying (Altar of Plagues - Teethed Glory and Injury, Evoken - Antithesis of Light) could have done better with the sub-bass.

To me, I think it's a step up from SE535CL I tried earlier. But then it is just a damper and color change. So, I am not sure how it's going to fair in comparisons. Unlike last time where I had to return it back in a hurry, I can compare it to a few more IEMs this time.

 

[itsvel06]

@esanthosh thanks for reviewing my 'ex' earphone ;-) I sold it to Vel @itsvel06 and he was persistent on getting good review on those earphones, not 'Shure' if he got what he expected from reading your short review. I have to accept most on what you said like separation/placement, Shures way of doing it at least on 535 is pushing the instruments either side, which I did not like either and uncomfortable after a long session which is another sore point. Not going with you on flat bass, I understand that no impact bass is the reason 535 mid sounds so good, but at the same time it is 'joke' for a bass even for IEM. To me after trying many(ok limited) earphones, I think for tamil/bollywood songs, I love shure's intimate presentation.

Hmm, Shure SE535 IS a mid-centric IEM so rather than saying that "it pushes the instruments to either side" , I would say that its mids are more 'upfront' in the presentation because of its mid boosted signature. Also your ears couldn't ' take ' the double flanges , so you were only hearing a portion of SE535s true potential!

 

[itsvel06]

Everything is relative. The reason I liked the flatness can be found in RE-400's short impressions


To me, I think it's a step up from SE535CL I tried earlier. But then it is just a damper and color change. So, I am not sure how it's going to fair in comparisons. Unlike last time where I had to return it back in a hurry, I can compare it to a few more IEMs this time.

As for the difference between the Shure SE535 and SE535ltd Rin says it's just a damper modification, some people say they've tweaked the crossover as well. I haven't heard the clear ones so I can't comment but there are a number of people who have found a significant improvement from the clear ones, some go even so far as to say that Shure should have launched these as a separate product line rather than having made them LTD edition!!

http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/h...es-314/shure-se535ltd-users-fall-3483437.html

 

[esanthosh]

Yeah! But, that whole review can be compressed into...

Both bass quantity and treble quantity (and upper mids) have improved from SE535

Since I've heard it long ago, I cannot trust my audio memory to remember everything. But, I do remember how it felt (my emotional memory is better) when I read back my notes. I still can't say anything about the sound stage differences unless I can compare them side by side. Another point to note about 'sound stage' size tends to be a slight bit better on Cowon compared to Clip+ (which I use for all reviews). I can drop in a player comparison IF I have time and energy, but won't guarantee it. Shure has been all about refinement when it comes to SE53X series. SE530 was v1.0, SE535 was like v1.1 (based on Joker's review) and based on my memory, SE535LTD-J is like a v1.2. It may sound 'better' in relative terms, but does it sound better enough to change the comparisons from last time? That I will know only when I get down to comparisons.

BTW, if you were looking for a 'good review' as mentioned by @santhoshr, you could have written it yourself (like kenpachiroks did for RE-400). My review would be based on my biases, tastes and preferences which may not exactly align with yours

 

[kenpachiroks]

@kenpa
Considered C-12 ?

Actually, I have. But purely based on reviews(Joker has reviewed both), the VSD1S is closer to my requirement.

Aside: I have been really lazy in selling stuff. As a result, most of my gear (including vast majority of IEMs) remain unused. While retaining many IEMs is highly useful when making comparisons to newer IEMs in the price range, it doesn't make sense to let them sleep just for that purpose. Over the next few weeks and months, I plan to compare across IEMs and retain only those that add a unique flavor or element to the collection. I think early/mid January would be the starting point with a permanent FS thread where things will get added as they get eliminated.

The Great TE Shopping Festival is coming people!!

To my knowledge, I haven't seen too many failures when it comes to VSonics, TE or Head-Fi. IIRC, they had some removable cable issues with one of the models.
GR07 was one of the more comfortable ones to wear. No reason to think VSD1S won't be. If I was not restricting myself, I'd have bought VSD1S along with QB2.

Good to know. I believe the R07BE had the swivel nozzles?

I still can't say anything about the sound stage differences unless I can compare them side by side. Another point to note about 'sound stage' size tends to be a slight bit better on Cowon compared to Clip+ (which I use for all reviews). I can drop in a player comparison IF I have time and energy, but won't guarantee it.

That\s interesting. Looking forward to this bit.

BTW, have you ever played around with the crossfeed setting(rockbox)? I don't understand the parameters completely but it improved the stage and imaging on my ex-xears.