Search
Search titles only
By:
Search titles only
By:
Forums
New posts
Search forums
What's new
New posts
Latest activity
Feedback
View Statistics
Members
Current visitors
Buy Sell Trade
WTB
Log in
Register
Search
Search titles only
By:
Search titles only
By:
New posts
Search forums
Menu
Install the app
Install
Reply to thread
Forums
Technology
Consumer Electronics
Random IEM / Headphone Rants
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Message
<blockquote data-quote="esanthosh" data-source="post: 1988172" data-attributes="member: 33844"><p>[USER=448]@b_naresh[/USER],</p><p></p><p>I am completely out of touch with IEMs, so much so that it took me 8 minutes to remember which one of my Soundmagic IEMs is E30 <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" />. But, I will attempt. Please note that this is a rough impression of going once over with a portion of the same track than a detailed comparison / analysis.</p><p></p><p>I have not heard CX400 or have read reviews about it. So, it's hard for me to say which one will form the right upgrade. If it sounds something like PX80 headphone - lots of mid bass, slightly pushed back and a little veiled mids and slightly rolled off treble, then the following impressions would prove helpful.</p><p></p><p><em>E30</em>: It is light weight and comfortable with it's over the ear design. But the design would also sacrifice isolation.</p><p></p><p>The bass would not be missing coming from CX400, but without the mid bass hump and probably better quality. The mids are clear and the sound stage and separation is good. The treble does not sound harsh. It ticks all the boxes. If you are going to use the IEM for casual listening more than attentive listening, E30 would be an apt choice. But if isolation (for outside use) and build quality are high priority items, then E30 will not be as suitable.</p><p></p><p><em>FXD70</em>: It's housing is well constructed, but the design prevents deep insertion. It is not as light as E30 in the ear. On the other hand, it would surely last longer than E30 without needing as much care.</p><p></p><p>You will miss the bass coming from CX400. In contrast to E30, the focus is more towards the mids and treble. Bass sounds a bit rolled off, the mid range is clear with that unique JVC timbre. The treble is slightly tipped, but not harsh. The presentation is up front and personal. Forget my rankings, I am not sure this is the one for you yet.</p><p></p><p><em>Steel Series Flux</em>: Small form factor, comfortable and allows deeper insertion due to it's design compared to E30 and FXD70. Though it does not require an amp, this requires a little more volume than FXD70 and E30 (-32 on Clip+ compared to -40/-38). It has a thin flat cable and a mic. Since you are using it with a phone, mic might come in handy. While I do not have an issue with the flat cable (and the cable is not as bad as MH1C), it is something to keep in mind.</p><p></p><p>This errs more on the side of balanced. The bass quantity is a bit more than FXD70, but not as much as E30. The quality is good though. The mids are a bit withdrawn compared to FXD70 and E30 and the coloration tends more towards neutral than the warmth of the other two. Treble is more in line with mids compared to E30 (a little pushed back in relation) and FXD70 (a little upfront in relation). The clarity is quite good and the sound stage is good enough. FXD70 due to it's upfront presentation will sound a bit more clearer at times.</p><p></p><p><em>RE-400</em>: The clothed cable (till Y-split) has a little memory (won't unwind to a straight line, I forgot the term), but manageable. The small form factor makes it as easy on the ears as Flux. People generally have reservations about Hifiman's build quality and rightly so on account of failures. Due to my limited usage all my Head-Direct / Hifiman IEMs have lasted longer than it has for most people.</p><p></p><p>This is somewhat similar to FXD70 in it's orientation, but better all around. The bass quantity hits somewhat close to the FXD70 range. The mid range is neither forward as FXD70 nor as recessed as Flux, which kind of makes it 'optimal' positioning. The treble is smooth. The clarity is really good. While I am sure it would take you a few hours of mental burn-in to get used to this kind of signature, it is kind of addictive if you like it.</p><p></p><p><em>FXD80</em>: Unfortunately, I do not have FXD80 or M3 with me right now. I remember them as clearly as the guys in 'Hangover' movies. I think you should read my impressions of <a href="https://www.techenclave.com/community/threads/random-iem-headphone-rants.106883/page-62#post-1691756" target="_blank">FXD80</a>.</p><p></p><p><em>M3</em>: As far as M3 is concerned, the bass should be better than FXD70 and RE-400, but will lose out to both in the treble department. The mid range is smooth and buttery if I remember correctly. Though there's no saying without a direct comparison, I think I would still prefer FXD70 and RE-400 as far as mids go. It may have a slightly better stage than FXD70.</p><p></p><p>In short, if you would use for mostly casual listening, your need for isolation is not great and you would be a little more careful in preserving it, go for E30.</p><p>If you would rather take a risk with a different kind of signature, go for RE-400 depending on availability. I'd think that FXD80 would be a decent option as well, though I did not love it as much as RE-400.</p><p></p><p>I think there are plenty more options, but I have not kept pace with the developments for the past one year. I am hoping somebody else with updated knowledge may help you here.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="esanthosh, post: 1988172, member: 33844"] [USER=448]@b_naresh[/USER], I am completely out of touch with IEMs, so much so that it took me 8 minutes to remember which one of my Soundmagic IEMs is E30 :). But, I will attempt. Please note that this is a rough impression of going once over with a portion of the same track than a detailed comparison / analysis. I have not heard CX400 or have read reviews about it. So, it's hard for me to say which one will form the right upgrade. If it sounds something like PX80 headphone - lots of mid bass, slightly pushed back and a little veiled mids and slightly rolled off treble, then the following impressions would prove helpful. [I]E30[/I]: It is light weight and comfortable with it's over the ear design. But the design would also sacrifice isolation. The bass would not be missing coming from CX400, but without the mid bass hump and probably better quality. The mids are clear and the sound stage and separation is good. The treble does not sound harsh. It ticks all the boxes. If you are going to use the IEM for casual listening more than attentive listening, E30 would be an apt choice. But if isolation (for outside use) and build quality are high priority items, then E30 will not be as suitable. [I]FXD70[/I]: It's housing is well constructed, but the design prevents deep insertion. It is not as light as E30 in the ear. On the other hand, it would surely last longer than E30 without needing as much care. You will miss the bass coming from CX400. In contrast to E30, the focus is more towards the mids and treble. Bass sounds a bit rolled off, the mid range is clear with that unique JVC timbre. The treble is slightly tipped, but not harsh. The presentation is up front and personal. Forget my rankings, I am not sure this is the one for you yet. [I]Steel Series Flux[/I]: Small form factor, comfortable and allows deeper insertion due to it's design compared to E30 and FXD70. Though it does not require an amp, this requires a little more volume than FXD70 and E30 (-32 on Clip+ compared to -40/-38). It has a thin flat cable and a mic. Since you are using it with a phone, mic might come in handy. While I do not have an issue with the flat cable (and the cable is not as bad as MH1C), it is something to keep in mind. This errs more on the side of balanced. The bass quantity is a bit more than FXD70, but not as much as E30. The quality is good though. The mids are a bit withdrawn compared to FXD70 and E30 and the coloration tends more towards neutral than the warmth of the other two. Treble is more in line with mids compared to E30 (a little pushed back in relation) and FXD70 (a little upfront in relation). The clarity is quite good and the sound stage is good enough. FXD70 due to it's upfront presentation will sound a bit more clearer at times. [I]RE-400[/I]: The clothed cable (till Y-split) has a little memory (won't unwind to a straight line, I forgot the term), but manageable. The small form factor makes it as easy on the ears as Flux. People generally have reservations about Hifiman's build quality and rightly so on account of failures. Due to my limited usage all my Head-Direct / Hifiman IEMs have lasted longer than it has for most people. This is somewhat similar to FXD70 in it's orientation, but better all around. The bass quantity hits somewhat close to the FXD70 range. The mid range is neither forward as FXD70 nor as recessed as Flux, which kind of makes it 'optimal' positioning. The treble is smooth. The clarity is really good. While I am sure it would take you a few hours of mental burn-in to get used to this kind of signature, it is kind of addictive if you like it. [I]FXD80[/I]: Unfortunately, I do not have FXD80 or M3 with me right now. I remember them as clearly as the guys in 'Hangover' movies. I think you should read my impressions of [URL='https://www.techenclave.com/community/threads/random-iem-headphone-rants.106883/page-62#post-1691756']FXD80[/URL]. [I]M3[/I]: As far as M3 is concerned, the bass should be better than FXD70 and RE-400, but will lose out to both in the treble department. The mid range is smooth and buttery if I remember correctly. Though there's no saying without a direct comparison, I think I would still prefer FXD70 and RE-400 as far as mids go. It may have a slightly better stage than FXD70. In short, if you would use for mostly casual listening, your need for isolation is not great and you would be a little more careful in preserving it, go for E30. If you would rather take a risk with a different kind of signature, go for RE-400 depending on availability. I'd think that FXD80 would be a decent option as well, though I did not love it as much as RE-400. I think there are plenty more options, but I have not kept pace with the developments for the past one year. I am hoping somebody else with updated knowledge may help you here. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Forums
Technology
Consumer Electronics
Random IEM / Headphone Rants
Top
Bottom