Portable headphone angst

[robm321]

Instant gratification wins, I picked up the DT1350 this afternoon

Congrats!

[Beefy]

Yeah, I'm listening to the M3, Gamma2 and Gotan Project, and these things are bloody fantastic.

I doubt many of you have heard the AD900, but the DT1350 have all the good parts of the AD900, only with a much more even bass response and a bit less of the mid-high treble sizzle. They also have a lot better clarity and are less congested than the ESW9. Isolation continues to astound me.

I don't know what a perfectly neutral and balanced headphone sounds like, but this *has* to be the closest I have heard.

[emelius]

Congrats...

Do you still plan to audition the Amperior?...

[Beefy]

Do you still plan to audition the Amperior?...

Not really - that sort of thinking would get me kicked onto the couch.

[Leonardo Drummond]

Beefy, don't you hear some lack of definition in the bass dept? It sounded a bit loose to me. For example, in the last track of the new Storm Corrosion album, the bass drum is lost in a cloud of other bassy things, whereas in the EX1000 for example, it's a crystal clear bass drum in its perfect place.

[Beefy]

Lack of definition compared to what in my arsenal? The AD900 are pretty precise and impactful, but the bass volume is quite low; DT1350 win. The ESW9 have great presence and tone, but are lacking in slam; DT1350 win. I haven't compared to the HD650 or SR-Lambda yet, but those are both straying a loooooong way from a fair fight.

So I won't claim they are perfect. But for their purpose and pricepoint they are pretty awesome.

[Leonardo Drummond]

Oh, I see. I guess I'd trade definition for volume in a portable can as well. I think they're fantastic too, it's just that I was surprised nobody mentioned that relative lack of definition, which is quite noticeable when I compared the DT1350 with the Sony EX1000 and Grado SR225i.

[recstar24]

I just picked up some shure se535, and was able to test them out today at the soldier field 10 mile run. I am very impressed, as I used to own the e5, e500, and e530, with the development. The ergonomics are perfect, and are more comfortable than my jh13's after 3 refits were. The shape of the shell seems to have been tweaked to really sit flush inside against your ears, there are some subtle curves that seen to make all the difference from the previous models. Isolation was good using the clear silicone things that were more about convenience putting in. The earpieces swivel freely from the cable insert which is brilliant. The cable and shell build quality is substantial. The sound I found very smooth and linear, no crazy bass humps and the highs nicely detailed yet controlled, I would say more of a pro/monitor sound. Extremely happy, even more amazed at the comfort achieved by a universal and I haven't even played with any of the tips yet.

[catscratch]

Thanks for the impressions. I had the e500 and never liked it much. The bass and mids were pretty good but the highs were metallic and lacked extension at the same time. Harsh. Hopefully the 535 is a big step up, I think it needs to be. I'm kinda tempted to get one but not $500 tempted.

Of course bad seal and a decade of listening to Stax are possibilities for why I didn't like it.

Edited May 27, 2012 by catscratch

[recstar24]

Oh yeah the 535 is a huge step up from the e500. I agrees about the msrp and was able to get them on HF but with all the tips unused.

[guzziguy]

Inquiring minds want to know. What did they do with the tips that didn't involve using the 535?

[recstar24]

Comply.

[guzziguy]

Oh yeah the 535 is a huge step up from the e500. I agrees about the msrp and was able to get them on HF but with all the tips unused.

Comply.

Oops, I read the original incorrectly. I read it as:

"I agrees about the msrp and was able to get them on HF but with all but the tips unused."

So I was wondering what the hell they did with the tips that didn't involve using the IEM itself. Doh!

[catscratch]

*casts level 1 thread necromancy*

Heard the 535 tonight and, well, it's not for me. Everything was right except for the highs - they were harsh. Metallic and peaky. It could be the fit, though I used complys as well as shure yellow and black foamies. It could be the music, which isn't ideally produced (at the time, a bunch of old-school Santana). Either way, I couldn't listen comfortably at anything more than moderate volume, otherwise there was too much sibilance. Which is too bad really because in other respects, they were pretty good.

I think I'm very sensitive to harshness in the highs. As in, exceedingly more so than others that are already sensitive to harshness in the highs. Maybe that explains why I like the 007 and 001, and why the UM3x is one of the few canalphones I could live with, thus far.

Now if the UM3x did bass like the 535 and had a bit more treble presence, it would be perfect.

Edited August 26, 2012 by catscratch

[HeadphoneAddict]

*casts level 1 thread necromancy*

Heard the 535 tonight and, well, it's not for me. Everything was right except for the highs - they were harsh. Metallic and peaky. It could be the fit, though I used complys as well as shure yellow and black foamies. It could be the music, which isn't ideally produced (at the time, a bunch of old-school Santana). Either way, I couldn't listen comfortably at anything more than moderate volume, otherwise there was too much sibilance. Which is too bad really because in other respects, they were pretty good.

I think I'm very sensitive to harshness in the highs. As in, exceedingly more so than others that are already sensitive to harshness in the highs. Maybe that explains why I like the 007 and 001, and why the UM3x is one of the few canalphones I could live with, thus far.

Now if the UM3x did bass like the 535 and had a bit more treble presence, it would be perfect.

Do you wanna borrow a Westone 3 to try out? It might fit the bill when used with Complys foam tips.

Edited August 26, 2012 by HeadphoneAddict

[catscratch]

Thanks, but I have a 3 and 4 already. I'm more or less OK with what I've got now, and I'll pick up some sort of custom when time/money permit. Probably ES5, since I liked the fit/sound of the ES2.

[HeadphoneAddict]

Thanks, but I have a 3 and 4 already. I'm more or less OK with what I've got now, and I'll pick up some sort of custom when time/money permit. Probably ES5, since I liked the fit/sound of the ES2.

I think you would really like the ES5. Interestingly, I have SE530 drivers/x-over in custom Livewires shells, and while the stock SE530 were not sibilant at all the customs are. I saw that you were experiencing sibilance with the SE535, and was going to suggest the SE530 except they have less treble presence than the UM3X (which you wanted more of).

The SE530 kinda reminded me of an HD650 a little, while the UM3X remind me more of an HE-500 in an IEM, and the W3 remind me more of a Denon D5000. I'd say the W4 is more reminiscent of an IEM version of LCD-2 r1. (in a general sort of way). I find that the Complys foam tips smooth out the W3 treble a bit, which is more present than the UM3X, while the W4 treble is too laid back for me to enjoy with the Complys tips.

For some strange reason I found that my UM56 custom tips work well on all three of the Westones as well as the SE530, and balance them all out nicely so that the differences between them are less. I think I preferred my first set made out of vinyl more than the silicone replacements that I got after I lost the first set. They gripped the sound stem tighter, and were easier to insert into my ears.

So, you could consider UM56 tips since you have so many IEM with the small sized sound nozzles.

[RudeWolf]

I got the angst as well. Just got my first set of optical glasses and therefore the HD25-II must go. Currently eyeing the SE535 and the Westone 4 in HF classifieds. Too bad that I can't audition them locally...

Which one has the most unoffensive treble? W4?

[catscratch]

Between those 2, W4. UM3x is more inoffensive still - too inoffensive as it's far too dark. W4 is a bit harder to get a good seal with, but Complys work just fine.

[RudeWolf]

Its not that I don't like treble- I just have bad memories about being a Grado treble slave. Sparkle is nice but sibilance is what worries me the most. Also I have experienced treble happy headphones making some good albums borderline unlistenable.

[Torpedo]

I like the sound of the W4 with the long Comply tips more than the standard ones or other types, but the tri-flanges. Perhaps the X10 is a bit more fun and kind of richer in the midrange, with more bass presence, but both are enjoyable IEMs to these aging ears. All Shure IEMs I've tried sounded to me between harsh and annoying, none was really enjoyable. Haven't tried the 535 though, maybe these are different, Tyll likes them

[RudeWolf]

[...]Tyll likes them

That's basically the only reason I considered them. So far Tyll has been right with all the headphones I bought blindly.

[Tyll Hertsens]

Mua ha ha ha ha ha!

I am falible, you know. But I do like the 535.

[Dusty Chalk]

The older generation Shure earbuds I had definitely had "inoffensive treble".

[robm321]

I still have my e500. It has seriously rolled off treble. I almost wish it was harsh just to have highs. Since it practically disintegrated, I can't sell it. So, I'm stuck with it.

The midrange is killer though.