Random IEM / Headphone Rants

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hello folks,my first post here

my gr07 mk2 just arrived!!![DOUBLEPOST=1387192272][/DOUBLEPOST]after 30 hours of burn in treble has settled in quite a bit but they are still tiring for my ears.
lets see what happens with more burn in
 
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Since C-12 and co are burning in, I thought I'd start with SE535LTD-J review.

I must confess it's been damn fatiguing for me to review. I have audio lingo amnesia and critical listening ring rust. Combine this with my recent habit of listening to music and not the IEM, it's headed for disaster. I have been trying to warm up this weekend by listening to a set of tracks (random selection, with no 'reference' recordings and no female vocals). Since I do not know if I will ever complete the review, here are some general excerpts:
  • SE535LTD-J (hereinafter SE535 refers to SE535LTD-J in this post) is a good IEM. When comparing FR, it does not suffer from the 5Khz cut of SM3, the low bass quantity of RE272, the sub-bass roll-off of RE-400, the bass bloat or the mid range recession of FX700. It does have other shortcomings.
  • My observations are with the bi-flanges. I got a better fit with Shure Olives than bi-flanges. I could not get the bi-flanges to go all the way (1mm outside the canals) in and the IEM stuck out a mm or two outside the ear rather than sit flush.
  • The problem with SE535 is that it demands a good fit to hear what it is capable of. But good fit is not very easy. It takes a bit of time and effort to twist it in, push it to the right depth. Otherwise, the sound suffers with loss of bass or uneven/exaggerated treble. This aspect is troubling as it is, worse if I go for A:B:A comparisons.
  • Please note that I did not do one-on-one comparisons. I played the same set of tracks with all IEMs and noted down what I felt.
  • The good thing about SE535 is it's smooth, sweetly colored mids. I say sweetly colored because the tone is of a different shade compared to the dynamic 'warm mids'.
  • Where SE535 suffers in relation to other IEMs I tested with the same track (EX-1000, FX700, SM3) is that it seemed a little hesitant to keep pace with the music and failed to convey the 'scale' of the music. For instance, a symphony moves between soft passages that almost border on silence and bursts into a grander scale. I 'hear' the music with SE535, but did not feel the transition. The slightly blended presentation, lack of airiness and separation are also an issue. Also, I felt that the macro dynamics of SE535 falls a tad short of my other IEMs. Even among Rock/Metal tracks that relied on setting up an atmosphere, this was a bit of a handicap - Everything is there, but somehow a little connection seemed missing. The bass quantity shortage was felt in a few instances, but I can't say it's the major issue of SE535.
  • Did every other IEM pass with flying colors? I am afraid not.....
    • Even EX-1000 does have a slightly blended presentation. But, it makes up for it in many ways - with that perfect bass which still has the best combination of quality and quantity among my IEMs, wide sound stage, great timbre, clarity. It is the only IEM with zero remarks in notes because I just listened to music. It's not perfect, but errs the least for my preferences. It is also the only IEM with which I listened to all the tracks in their entirety.
    • With FX700, the bass quantity is an issue. Like SM3, FX700 needed some brain adjustment. However, it was about 2-3 tracks for tuning into FX700 as opposed to may be a full album in the case of SM3. usually tend to listen at even lower volumes, but for 'critical' listening, I had to turn the volume up a few notches (-40 to -35). It is one IEM which creates 'grand' presentation easily. With dynamically challenged (especially metal) recordings of today, it's way of pushing mids down creates a palatable listening atmosphere. It's weakness is with vocals. Both dynamics scored high on the 'emotional connection with music' and 'I wanted to listen to the IEM, but listened to the music' scale (FX700 a touch lower of course).
    • SM64 has been called as an electroacoustic abomination by Rin Choi. I wish he measured SM3 v1 and promptly proceeded to break his equipment in a fit of rage. SM3 has the most remarks next to SE535. It still takes me 30 minutes+ to "tune in". Here are my notes to show you how frustrating, yet rewarding that session was!
______________________________________________________________

Altar of Plagues / Teethed Glory and Injury / Track 1 / 320 kbps
  • One twist and it's in. If only SE535 didn't have memory wire..
  • Thick bass, but sub-bass rumbling is here. Impact is much higher than SE535. Mid-bass is a bit bloated.
  • A bit veiled, increased the volume to -36dB.
  • Vocalist front and center.
  • I feel that the sound stage width may be less than SE535, but the presentation is 'large' - more like a 5.1 HT split which creates 'effects' than something that tries to reproduce stereo image accurately.
  • It's pretty dark, yet there's a little something about the sound I cannot describe. for a 'bright' listener like myself, upper mids and treble (or the lack thereof) should create an outrage. Yet, there's something 'catchy' in this abominable monstrosity that destroys music and then creates it's unique version.
  • Rin says there's a 24dB cut at 5Khz in SM64, probably the same here. I tried EQ-ing, but went back to the dark land of no EQ soon. This may explain why many 'find' treble and 'find' details after a 1-3 hour / day brain burn-in. It just takes that much time for the brain to get adjusted to that deep cut in FR. SM3 is like a brain altering machine that way.
Ahab / Call of the Wretched Sea / Track 1/ 320kbps
  • It captures the sudden jolt from atmospheric beginning to that abrupt drum hit better, because it is ... in your face.
  • Reducing volume to -37dB. This is the longest I have progressed in this track with any IEM
Isis / Panopticon / Track 1 / FLAC
  • This is how bass quantity should be.
  • SM3 makes everything sound the same. I wonder how it will handle symphonies. But, it's good to have an IEM that tames Death metal and dig out the vocalist of Isis from under the mix. I may finally know what he was singing about... finally... in my 58th listen. But, whatever SM3 does, it does chug along nicely with the speed of the music. Wait... let's try something faster first.
  • I don't mind the treble. I am getting old which is why I am OK with less treble. Grumpy old portablephile!
  • I forgot how tight the chin slider is until I got up and closed the window.
  • I don't know how, but I just listened to the entire track again. Why? I don't know. But that has always been the case with SM3
Neurosis - Honor Found in Decay / Track 1 / FLAC
  • Slightly more mid-bass, but I can live with that
  • I will arrange for a "SM3: Find the treble hunt". Wait! There it is, No! it isn't.
  • By reducing the treble, it achieves a unique focus on the bass and lower mid range and warding off ill-effects of a upper mid range and treble spikes. WAIT! I did not just write that! There is a demon in this thing. I am on to the next track yet again without realizing it. Whatever SM3 isn't, it's great for background listening since nothing will bite ya!
John Coltrane / Blue Train / Track 1 / FLAC
  • SM3 - where everything from Death Metal to Jazz gets played in the same club, the same way
  • Somehow, SM3 despite that creamy thick note manages to keep me engaged in Coltrane's multitude of transitions. I am beginning to think that SE535 may be a little slower.
The Fall of Every Season /Amends / Track 1 / FLAC
  • Even though everything seems upfront, SM3 is able to magnificently create the sound traveling effects that were present in this track.
  • With FX700, I would be lost in how beautiful guitars sound around the 4:00 mark. Instead, I am listening to the front and center vocals in SM3.
Primitive Man / Scorn / Track 1 / 320kbps
  • This is probably my only chance to get past 2:00 mark in this track.
  • SM3 is like this chubby kid that re-arranges your painting into a modern art.
Karajan - Legendary Decca Recordings / Brahms, Symphony No.1 / FLAC
  • One of my regular test tracks... because I have listened to the first movement in full... TWICE, while the rest of my Classical collection digitally rots in No-Play hell! (From SE535 notes. Added here for completion sake!)
  • "Mids forward and in your face" is too long. I need a shorter phrase - Mid faceness, Mid facepalm, Mid fard?
  • Since it plays everything the same way, I expected to 'see' Orchestra members sitting on each other's laps. SM3 has very good separation to allay that fear. Dynamics too are good.
  • Despite it's "greatness", I must have used SM3 for what, 20-30 hrs in my entire ownership? I feel it's like a Samurai sword. It is not taken out unless it's going to taste blood. Once taken out, SM3 cannot go back into the case without comparison for a review - sometimes scarred, sometimes beaten to a pulp, yet weirdly triumphant in an odd way.
Bonus Play: Torture Division - Sacrifice EP / 320kbps

SM3 - the one IEM where switching from Beethoven to Torture Division is not jarring. BTW, it takes balls sanity for someone to put out a DR-13 Death Metal album when everybody else is happy compressing and clipping to DR-5. Wish there were more Dan Swanös.

__________________________________________

.... And to think that I haven't even warmed up fully makes me want to abandon the review :(

____________________

@sardar17,

In my case,m GR07 MKI though, the sibilance did not settle down completely even after 200 hours. Hope your MK2 is better at that!
 
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For the last 2-3 days, I have had a fair share of issues with CK10. It has been a little more than two years since I used it (Last time was during RE272 review in Aug, 2011).

There was a weird thing going on with CK10 during the first couple of days. It would be playing normally and then sound on one ear would suddenly go down. I never had this issue before. This does not happen with any other IEM, be it straight barrel design or the ones flush with ears. So, I thought CK10 was having issues. This wasn't an issue when worn straight-down, but only over the ear. Besides, there was more 'sound cut' in right ear than the left. So, I figured something else was at play.

CK10 is a very smallish IEM. The stock single flanges were merely sitting before the first bend and I could not insert them any deeper. Whenever my jaw was moved on either side, there was contraction of canals, closing the tip opening and thus, blocking some of the sound out. So, what I needed was a tip, which was firmer, but could be inserted deeper. De-cored Shure Olives were a bit loose on the nozzle. Sony hybrids had the same issue as the stock tips. Monster foams were better, but there was a slight alteration in sound. Monster Gels were OK, but they colored the sound too much. Finally, I found EX-1000's large noise-isolation tips (Sony hybrids with foam inside them) to solve the issue. With slightly different angle of insertion for the right ear (compared to the left), the issue was finally settled last night.

Anyways, I don't know why I was in love with CK10 before. But, it's dry, analytical signature suits me now. It has good bass extension, but lacks quantity and decay which would have given it some heft. The mid range is fine as is treble, despite the spike in the lower treble. It works well with say, Isis or Opeth than Jazz where it's timbre becomes a handicap. I'd say it's palatable with Classical due to it's speed and separation, but it lacks the scale / explosiveness that EX-1000, FX700 can bring about. While it's speed is still admirable, I think I have moved on from being just a fan of technicals in the two years I hadn't used them. When I wrote the RE272 review, I mentioned that I preferred CK10 by a bit. Who knows? That might have changed too.

So, a change in my rankings - CK10 got kicked out of my favorites list.
 
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esanthosh said:
Since C-12 and co are burning in, I thought I'd start with SE535LTD-J review.

I must confess it's been damn fatiguing for me to review. I have audio lingo amnesia and critical listening ring rust. Combine this with my recent habit of listening to music and not the IEM, it's headed for disaster. I have been trying to warm up this weekend by listening to a set of tracks (random selection, with no 'reference' recordings and no female vocals). Since I do not know if I will ever complete the review, here are some general excerpts:
  • SE535LTD-J (hereinafter SE535 refers to SE535LTD-J in this post) is a good IEM. When comparing FR, it does not suffer from the 5Khz cut of SM3, the low bass quantity of RE272, the sub-bass roll-off of RE-400, the bass bloat or the mid range recession of FX700. It does have other shortcomings.
  • My observations are with the bi-flanges. I got a better fit with Shure Olives than bi-flanges. I could not get the bi-flanges to go all the way (1mm outside the canals) in and the IEM stuck out a mm or two outside the ear rather than sit flush.
  • The problem with SE535 is that it demands a good fit to hear what it is capable of. But good fit is not very easy. It takes a bit of time and effort to twist it in, push it to the right depth. Otherwise, the sound suffers with loss of bass or uneven/exaggerated treble. This aspect is troubling as it is, worse if I go for A:B:A comparisons.
  • Please note that I did not do one-on-one comparisons. I played the same set of tracks with all IEMs and noted down what I felt.
  • The good thing about SE535 is it's smooth, sweetly colored mids. I say sweetly colored because the tone is of a different shade compared to the dynamic 'warm mids'.
  • Where SE535 suffers in relation to other IEMs I tested with the same track (EX-1000, FX700, SM3) is that it seemed a little hesitant to keep pace with the music and failed to convey the 'scale' of the music. For instance, a symphony moves between soft passages that almost border on silence and bursts into a grander scale. I 'hear' the music with SE535, but did not feel the transition. The slightly blended presentation, lack of airiness and separation are also an issue. Also, I felt that the macro dynamics of SE535 falls a tad short of my other IEMs. Even among Rock/Metal tracks that relied on setting up an atmosphere, this was a bit of a handicap - Everything is there, but somehow a little connection seemed missing. The bass quantity shortage was felt in a few instances, but I can't say it's the major issue of SE535.
  • Did every other IEM pass with flying colors? I am afraid not.....
    • Even EX-1000 does have a slightly blended presentation. But, it makes up for it in many ways - with that perfect bass which still has the best combination of quality and quantity among my IEMs, wide sound stage, great timbre, clarity. It is the only IEM with zero remarks in notes because I just listened to music. It's not perfect, but errs the least for my preferences. It is also the only IEM with which I listened to all the tracks in their entirety.
    • With FX700, the bass quantity is an issue. Like SM3, FX700 needed some brain adjustment. However, it was about 2-3 tracks for tuning into FX700 as opposed to may be a full album in the case of SM3. usually tend to listen at even lower volumes, but for 'critical' listening, I had to turn the volume up a few notches (-40 to -35). It is one IEM which creates 'grand' presentation easily. With dynamically challenged (especially metal) recordings of today, it's way of pushing mids down creates a palatable listening atmosphere. It's weakness is with vocals. Both dynamics scored high on the 'emotional connection with music' and 'I wanted to listen to the IEM, but listened to the music' scale (FX700 a touch lower of course).
    • SM64 has been called as an electroacoustic abomination by Rin Choi. I wish he measured SM3 v1 and promptly proceeded to break his equipment in a fit of rage. SM3 has the most remarks next to SE535. It still takes me 30 minutes+ to "tune in". Here are my notes to show you how frustrating, yet rewarding that session was!
______________________________________________________________

Altar of Plagues / Teethed Glory and Injury / Track 1 / 320 kbps
  • One twist and it's in. If only SE535 didn't have memory wire..
  • Thick bass, but sub-bass rumbling is here. Impact is much higher than SE535. Mid-bass is a bit bloated.
  • A bit veiled, increased the volume to -36dB.
  • Vocalist front and center.
  • I feel that the sound stage width may be less than SE535, but the presentation is 'large' - more like a 5.1 HT split which creates 'effects' than something that tries to reproduce stereo image accurately.
  • It's pretty dark, yet there's a little something about the sound I cannot describe. for a 'bright' listener like myself, upper mids and treble (or the lack thereof) should create an outrage. Yet, there's something 'catchy' in this abominable monstrosity that destroys music and then creates it's unique version.
  • Rin says there's a 24dB cut at 5Khz in SM64, probably the same here. I tried EQ-ing, but went back to the dark land of no EQ soon. This may explain why many 'find' treble and 'find' details after a 1-3 hour / day brain burn-in. It just takes that much time for the brain to get adjusted to that deep cut in FR. SM3 is like a brain altering machine that way.
Ahab / Call of the Wretched Sea / Track 1/ 320kbps
  • It captures the sudden jolt from atmospheric beginning to that abrupt drum hit better, because it is ... in your face.
  • Reducing volume to -37dB. This is the longest I have progressed in this track with any IEM
Isis / Panopticon / Track 1 / FLAC
  • This is how bass quantity should be.
  • SM3 makes everything sound the same. I wonder how it will handle symphonies. But, it's good to have an IEM that tames Death metal and dig out the vocalist of Isis from under the mix. I may finally know what he was singing about... finally... in my 58th listen. But, whatever SM3 does, it does chug along nicely with the speed of the music. Wait... let's try something faster first.
  • I don't mind the treble. I am getting old which is why I am OK with less treble. Grumpy old portablephile!
  • I forgot how tight the chin slider is until I got up and closed the window.
  • I don't know how, but I just listened to the entire track again. Why? I don't know. But that has always been the case with SM3
Neurosis - Honor Found in Decay / Track 1 / FLAC
  • Slightly more mid-bass, but I can live with that
  • I will arrange for a "SM3: Find the treble hunt". Wait! There it is, No! it isn't.
  • By reducing the treble, it achieves a unique focus on the bass and lower mid range and warding off ill-effects of a upper mid range and treble spikes. WAIT! I did not just write that! There is a demon in this thing. I am on to the next track yet again without realizing it. Whatever SM3 isn't, it's great for background listening since nothing will bite ya!
John Coltrane / Blue Train / Track 1 / FLAC
  • SM3 - where everything from Death Metal to Jazz gets played in the same club, the same way
  • Somehow, SM3 despite that creamy thick note manages to keep me engaged in Coltrane's multitude of transitions. I am beginning to think that SE535 may be a little slower.
The Fall of Every Season /Amends / Track 1 / FLAC
  • Even though everything seems upfront, SM3 is able to magnificently create the sound traveling effects that were present in this track.
  • With FX700, I would be lost in how beautiful guitars sound around the 4:00 mark. Instead, I am listening to the front and center vocals in SM3.
Primitive Man / Scorn / Track 1 / 320kbps
  • This is probably my only chance to get past 2:00 mark in this track.
  • SM3 is like this chubby kid that re-arranges your painting into a modern art.
Karajan - Legendary Decca Recordings / Brahms, Symphony No.1 / FLAC
  • One of my regular test tracks... because I have listened to the first movement in full... TWICE, while the rest of my Classical collection digitally rots in No-Play hell! (From SE535 notes. Added here for completion sake!)
  • "Mids forward and in your face" is too long. I need a shorter phrase - Mid faceness, Mid facepalm, Mid fard?
  • Since it plays everything the same way, I expected to 'see' Orchestra members sitting on each other's laps. SM3 has very good separation to allay that fear. Dynamics too are good.
  • Despite it's "greatness", I must have used SM3 for what, 20-30 hrs in my entire ownership? I feel it's like a Samurai sword. It is not taken out unless it's going to taste blood. Once taken out, SM3 cannot go back into the case without comparison for a review - sometimes scarred, sometimes beaten to a pulp, yet weirdly triumphant in an odd way.
Bonus Play: Torture Division - Sacrifice EP / 320kbps

SM3 - the one IEM where switching from Beethoven to Torture Division is not jarring. BTW, it takes balls sanity for someone to put out a DR-13 Death Metal album when everybody else is happy compressing and clipping to DR-5. Wish there were more Dan Swanös.

__________________________________________

.... And to think that I haven't even warmed up fully makes me want to abandon the review :(

____________________

@sardar17,

In my case,m GR07 MKI though, the sibilance did not settle down completely even after 200 hours. Hope your MK2 is better at that!
Click to expand...
now i am genuinly scared!!
its outright uncomfortable to my ears,forget about a little sibilant!!
were u able to use these for long sessions??
 
@sardar17

The one thing with GR07 is that it is 'technically good'. While comparing against several top-tier universals, it seemed to hold it's own (I am talking about two years ago, the 'top-tier' has changed now).

But, that sibilance? Never went away completely (It may reduce though). That is one of the things that made me sell GR07.

As for your question about burn-in techniques on head-fi.

Keep it at listening levels for the first 50 hours and then increase the volume a tad until 80th hour. By then, the driver should be settled enough to take on additional load. You can keep a slightly more increased volume for the remaining time (100 / 150, depending on how sibilance settles down for you). Don't keep it too high in the beginning though!
 
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esanthosh said:
@sardar17

The one thing with GR07 is that it is 'technically good'. While comparing against several top-tier universals, it seemed to hold it's own (I am talking about two years ago, the 'top-tier' has changed now).

But, that sibilance? Never went away completely (It may reduce though). That is one of the things that made me sell GR07.

As for your question about burn-in techniques on head-fi.

Keep it at listening levels for the first 50 hours and then increase the volume a tad until 80th hour. By then, the driver should be settled enough to take on additional load. You can keep a slightly more increased volume for the remaining time (100 / 150, depending on how sibilance settles down for you). Don't keep it too high in the beginning though!
Click to expand...

yes fortunately i just had volume at half only for first 30 -40 hours!!
in terms of new top tier i have still to meet a person who says they are not the best under 200$ iems.

of course many others priced higher will be better but i bought these for value and also i got them for 8400 only,i don't think i can have anything better at this range.
re-400 are good but build quality is just very bad,i have personally inspected them and don't expect them to last for more than 3 months.
sony xba h1 are just plain bad,xba 3 have been discontinued.
rockit r-50 seem good and so does brainwavz r3.
yamaha eph 100 is good too but owners having all these along with gr07 mk2 suggest only gr07!!

so all in all options in sub 200$ category don't give me a better deal.

if u can suggest something,i may consider.bear in mind i want a neutral sound or maybe a bit punchy bass.
 
Kef M200 is something which used to be on the top of my list! There are a lot of lovers for it on head-fi most notable one being ericp10 who loves them more than anything he had in the dynamic iem category, anywhere near or even exceeding that price range! Apparently it's a very refined iem, warm and smooth signature with an incredibly impactful bass response! You can consider those IMO. Only issue is the fit, quite a bit of tip rolling is a must. @kenpachiroks mentioned he enquired with a local kef salesman about it. Maybe you can too!
 
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itsvel06 said:
Kef M200 is something which used to be on the top of my list! There are a lot of lovers for it on head-fi most notable one being ericp10 who loves them more than anything he had in the dynamic iem category, anywhere near or even exceeding that price range! Apparently it's a very refined iem, warm and smooth signature with an incredibly impactful bass response! You can consider those IMO. Only issue is the fit, quite a bit of tip rolling is a must. @kenpachiroks mentioned he enquired with a local kef salesman about it. Maybe you can too!
Click to expand...

yup he suggested me these yesterday too
but i am sceptical about fit issues looking at those ear hooks.

anyways update------after 50 hours burn in treble has mellowed down and surprisingly soundstage has increased a lot

on a diff note,lets all open an indian specific thread on head-fi,,,,i know some roll call of indians thread already exists but we need a new beginning to share prices etc
 
sardar17 said:
yup he suggested me these yesterday too
but i am sceptical about fit issues looking at those ear hooks.

anyways update------after 50 hours burn in treble has mellowed down and surprisingly soundstage has increased a lot

on a diff note,lets all open an indian specific thread on head-fi,,,,i know some roll call of indians thread already exists but we need a new beginning to share prices etc
Click to expand...

Hmm.. The ear hooks are the only sensible portion of kef m200's design. The main problem is that stem and the bore of the iem on which the tips og is really thick and wide, so even when you put on small tips it compares to using large tips on other iems. Kef actually won the red dot design award for m200... Lol. The design apparently mimics a musical note :)

Good to know the treble on gr07 is clearing up... If you are still looking for alternatives did u consider Philips fidelio S1/2? Their signature is balanced with a slight sub bass/midbass lift to increase the impact and make them a little warm... They are kinda open backed, so I heard they they sound quite open at the expense of isolation.
 
itsvel06 said:
Hmm.. The ear hooks are the only sensible portion of kef m200's design. The main problem is that stem and the bore of the iem on which the tips og is really thick and wide, so even when you put on small tips it compares to using large tips on other iems. Kef actually won the red dot design award for m200... Lol. The design apparently mimics a musical note :)

Good to know the treble on gr07 is clearing up... If you are still looking for alternatives did u consider Philips fidelio S1/2? Their signature is balanced with a slight sub bass/midbass lift to increase the impact and make them a little warm... They are kinda open backed, so I heard they they sound quite open at the expense of isolation.
Click to expand...

i asked a few ppl having those but they sent be back to gr07 again!!!lol

i think a huge number of ppl on head fi have gr07 apparently,haha
m200 must be considered at 200$ and i am waiting for the boxing day sale in canada.i will ask my cousin to get good deal.

he already missed 200$ ie80 and ue900 deal from ncix,canada...............damn
apparently he was sleeping both times:(
 
U can also consider Sony MDR-ex800, you know. I saw them for $169 in ebay! Bang and olufsen H3 is also great, not at their MRP but at the prices they are available in ebay, I think they are a steal!
 
itsvel06 said:
U can also consider Sony MDR-ex800, you know. I saw them for $169 in ebay! Bang and olufsen H3 is also great, not at their MRP but at the prices they are available in ebay, I think they are a steal!
Click to expand...
Bang and olufsen H3 even comes with a 3-year global warranty!! I actually bid on them thrice for 140$ incl of shipping to india... But unfortunately didn't win the bid :P
 
itsvel06 said:
U can also consider Sony MDR-ex800, you know. I saw them for $169 in ebay! Bang and olufsen H3 is also great, not at their MRP but at the prices they are available in ebay, I think they are a steal!
Click to expand...

i would love the ex series.
some say that ex 7550 is even better than 1000 but not easily available now,mainly japanese import with 30% customs duty(thats a big issue)
ex 1000 is currently at amazon for 450$

i checked ex800.................cheapest one goes for 255$,hardly an option considering customs of extra 60-70$[DOUBLEPOST=1387301497][/DOUBLEPOST]
itsvel06 said:
Bang and olufsen H3 even comes with a 3-year global warranty!! I actually bid on them thrice for 140$ incl of shipping to india... But unfortunately didn't win the bid :p
Click to expand...
damn
i will look right now
even rha earphones have 3 year warranty!![DOUBLEPOST=1387301999][/DOUBLEPOST]
itsvel06 said:
Bang and olufsen H3 even comes with a 3-year global warranty!! I actually bid on them thrice for 140$ incl of shipping to india... But unfortunately didn't win the bid :p
Click to expand...

what about creative aurvana 3??
they are at 60$ at amazon and will cost about 100$ including shipping and customs
they don't seem to br very popular though
 
Last edited:
sardar17 said:
i would love the ex series.
some say that ex 7550 is even better than 1000 but not easily available now,mainly japanese import with 30% customs duty(thats a big issue)
ex 1000 is currently at amazon for 450$

i checked ex800.................cheapest one goes for 255$,hardly an option considering customs of extra 60-70$[DOUBLEPOST=1387301497][/DOUBLEPOST]
damn
i will look right now
even rha earphones have 3 year warranty!!
Click to expand...

Bang and olufsen has global warranty baby! I personally called B&O in india and checked before I bid on the H3 and asked them if they will honor the warranty incase anything happens and they told me they will. Infact if you have a B&O showroom nearby you can go demo them! Unfortunately the one available in chennai closed just sometime before I was interested in demoing the H3!

Here's something from my head fi friend/guide :) Akiyama mio. Him and I have similar listening/ sound signature preferences:

So that situation makes your decision making harder.
Personally I love H3 more than EX800 :)
And I love EX1000 more than H3 :)
 
itsvel06 said:
Bang and olufsen has global warranty baby! I personally called B&O in india and checked before I bid on the H3 and asked them if they will honor the warranty incase anything happens and they told me they will. Infact if you have a B&O showroom nearby you can go demo them! Unfortunately the one available in chennai closed just sometime before I was interested in demoing the H3!

Here's something from my head fi friend/guide :) Akiyama mio. Him and I have similar listening/ sound signature preferences:

So that situation makes your decision making harder.
Personally I love H3 more than EX800 :)
And I love EX1000 more than H3 :)
Click to expand...

damn!!
i want these in boxing day sale.........
have to motivate my cousin to stay up this time.
although at 200-250$,an earphone with 3 year warranty that sounds pretty good is a no brainer!!
 
itsvel06 said:
Bang and olufsen has global warranty baby! I personally called B&O in india and checked before I bid on the H3 and asked them if they will honor the warranty incase anything happens and they told me they will. Infact if you have a B&O showroom nearby you can go demo them! Unfortunately the one available in chennai closed just sometime before I was interested in demoing the H3!

Here's something from my head fi friend/guide :) Akiyama mio. Him and I have similar listening/ sound signature preferences:

So that situation makes your decision making harder.
Personally I love H3 more than EX800 :)
And I love EX1000 more than H3 :)
Click to expand...

do they have any presence in delhi??
next time i visit delhi i may take a look or send my brother there??[DOUBLEPOST=1387302484][/DOUBLEPOST]have u tried new xba series from sony??
 
sardar17 said:
do they have any presence in delhi??
next time i visit delhi i may take a look or send my brother there??[DOUBLEPOST=1387302484][/DOUBLEPOST]have u tried new xba series from sony??
Click to expand...

Bang & Olufsen Emporio New Delhi
202 A Emporio,Vasant Kunjj
New Delhi 110070
India
T: +91 11-41752826

Nope haven't tried the xba series... You can get them if you have a good sony walkman(Great synergy) not otherwise.... Especially xba4/40 which is highly selective in terms of pairing.

Please do get the H3, if they are available at a great price...if not for you, then for me atleast :P
 
itsvel06 said:
Bang & Olufsen Emporio New Delhi
202 A Emporio,Vasant Kunjj
New Delhi 110070
India
T: +91 11-41752826

Nope haven't tried the xba series... You can get them if you have a good sony walkman(Great synergy) not otherwise.... Especially xba4/40 which is highly selective in terms of pairing.

Please do get the H3, if they are available at a great price...if not for you, then for me atleast :p
Click to expand...

yup i will check them out next time when i go to delhi
if i knew before i would have checked them before buying gr07,,,would have spared me from this burn in period.
m3 required no burn in,were good out of box but gr07 has a bass response that i had not heard before!!

guess it will remain so till i get something like ex7550 or 800
 
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