Just Arrived! VSonic VSD3S

[Ryanr1987]

Punchy. Clear with good soundstage. Very good all rounder and simply unbeatable for the price.

Edit: By "Dry" do you mean flat, sterile and lacking?

Dry i is quite bumpy and lacking smoothness. I think the DX50 had decent bass and was a powerful player but my ears need smooth and liquid.

 

[Ryanr1987]

Really hope so. I was considering an X3 too but will see how the X1 plays to my ears. One thing I really hated on the DX50
was how much it crashed.

 

[Cookeh]

I have, though I keep getting distracted by the DN-1000 which is more than I want to pay at the moment. They have such a wide and varied range I'm not sure which one would fit my preferences - smooth treble, lush mids and punchy (not bloated) and extended bass.

Another one I've been looking at is the Alpha-Genus by Rock Jaw. I like the idea of having three sets of filters that really do change the sound signature. From what I've read the champagne gold filter (balanced) should do the trick.

The DN22M is an extremely fun headphone, you'll be dancing around with a massive grin on your face getting the weirdest looks from the general public...no? Just me then... I'd say it meets most of your preferences - certainly worth a look at, anyway

Can't say ive looked into, and definitely havent ever heard, the Rock Jaw range. Build quality looks a bit naff from a quick google, but there doesn't seem to be too many reviews out there?

 

[rids57]

The reviews I've read say that the build quality of the Rock Jaw Alpha-Genus is very good and the only real criticism was that the filters can work loose and the L & R markings were too small.

http://www.head-fi.org/products/rock-jaw-alfa-genus

 

[Cookeh]

Thanks for the link, quite interesting. Might see if I can get a review sample

 

[rids57]

British company, 3 year warranty and free next day delivery (UK only)

Here's the direct link to their website...

http://www.rockjawaudio.com/

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Nice postie brought me my shiny new Havi B3 Pro 1's and WHOA!!!!!

Blown away by these - they only cost £37, have a horrible cable and sound absolutely sublime.

They really do like power but that should come as no surprise as they are 32ohm and pretty insensitive (95db @ 1mW).
My X1 drives them fine but I do have to push the volume up to 60%~70% (the Sonys are 40%~50%).
I've actually got them running off my STX at the moment and only had to reduce the volume down to 35 from the normal 50 I use for my HD650s and K702s.
While the X1 can drive them I think adding an E11K would help save the battery life of the X1 and won't hurt the sound either - besides, it's a gadget.

 

[ethan]

British company, 3 year warranty and free next day delivery (UK only)

Here's the direct link to their website...

http://www.rockjawaudio.com/

====================================================

Nice postie brought me my shiny new Havi B3 Pro 1's and WHOA!!!!!

Blown away by these - they only cost £37, have a horrible cable and sound absolutely sublime.

They really do like power but that should come as no surprise as they are 32ohm and pretty insensitive (95db @ 1mW).
My X1 drives them fine but I do have to push the volume up to 60%~70% (the Sonys are 40%~50%).
I've actually got them running off my STX at the moment and only had to reduce the volume down to 35 from the normal 50 I use for my HD650s and K702s.
While the X1 can drive them I think adding an E11K would help save the battery life of the X1 and won't hurt the sound either - besides, it's a gadget.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2oN_dp5FZ0

However, I bought a pair of JVC HA-FRD80-Z on his recommendation and they sounded like a bicycle pump. Must be faulty

 

[rids57]

LoL, some of JVC's XXXXXXXXXXBass models would probably make very good bicycle pumps

 

[rids57]

Personally not a massive fan of the 750s. Undoubtedly good IEMs, but they are hideous, heavy, the cable is stupidly long and I cant figure out what they're trying to be in terms of sound signature. Good detail, but then a small soundstage - seems pointless. Seemingly boosted treble, but then rolled bass... So its not analytical, not V shaped, not warm, not 'fun', what is it? That and the fact the burn-in time for them is absolutely stupid (50 hours does nothing, double it and you're getting there).

I'd love to give the Fidue range a go, they get some smashing reviews. The A63s are very highly regarded as budget IEMs.

P.S. Working on the review as we speak, just swamped by dissertations/coursework.

I got the MA750 a couple of days ago and I think we must be listening to two very different IEMs. The ones I'm listening to don't have a small sound stage at all, with good imaging and instrument separation. The treble is clear and detailed but not overly so and if there is any roll off its very agreeable to these ears - don't forget, I'm an HD650 aficionado. The mids are slightly warm if anything, though they are still full of detail. The bass doesn't seem rolled at all to me, it's just not boosted, though it extends well into the sub-bass. Overall I find the sound quite natural and not tuned for fun like the rest of their range.

The MA750 really doesn't like low bit rate MP3s, they sound pretty bad, so they are living on a diet of 24/96 FLACs and loving it.

I agree that they are heavy but when you loop them over your ears that becomes something of a non problem. I appear to be lucky with the fit, I'm using the largest tips and they are just the right size for a snug fit without being overly tight and are comfortable for long listening sessions. Saying that, the outside of my left ear is a bit sore but I did have them in for about eight hours straight yesterday.

I did try the Dunu DN1000 and while they are a very impressive sounding IEM the treble is a bit hot for my ears and left me wincing a few times. As I mentioned above, I'm an HD650 aficionado and heavily EQ my K702s - extra hot highs are not something I enjoy.

 

[gjc10212]

You were lucky then because I've also read reports about people waiting for days for email replies and RMAs taking a month. On the other hand though, the prices are so stupidly low the risk might well be worth it.

My VSD3S developed a fault in Jan, still waiting for my replacements to arrive.

 

[Silly Goose On The Loose]

This is turning into an Asian IEM appreciation thread!

The Xiaomi Piston 2 and 3 are another good low-cost IEM with a V-shaped fun sound that easily rivals IEMs costing £50 +.

I've been looking at getting some Havi B3 Pro 1s actually. What's the general consensus on them? I'm on a bit of an IEM spree at the moment so recommend me anything under £100 and I'll probably take a look!

 

[rids57]

They are neutral, mids are slightly recessed, bass is rather light, sound stage is huge and positioning is very good too - pretty much the opposite of V shaped

I much prefer my Rock Jaw Alfa Genus and RHA MA750s, both of which are British

 

[Cookeh]

I got the MA750 a couple of days ago and I think we must be listening to two very different IEMs. The ones I'm listening to don't have a small sound stage at all, with good imaging and instrument separation. The treble is clear and detailed but not overly so and if there is any roll off its very agreeable to these ears - don't forget, I'm an HD650 aficionado. The mids are slightly warm if anything, though they are still full of detail. The bass doesn't seem rolled at all to me, it's just not boosted, though it extends well into the sub-bass. Overall I find the sound quite natural and not tuned for fun like the rest of their range.

The MA750 really doesn't like low bit rate MP3s, they sound pretty bad, so they are living on a diet of 24/96 FLACs and loving it.

I agree that they are heavy but when you loop them over your ears that becomes something of a non problem. I appear to be lucky with the fit, I'm using the largest tips and they are just the right size for a snug fit without being overly tight and are comfortable for long listening sessions. Saying that, the outside of my left ear is a bit sore but I did have them in for about eight hours straight yesterday.


I did try the Dunu DN1000 and while they are a very impressive sounding IEM the treble is a bit hot for my ears and left me wincing a few times. As I mentioned above, I'm an HD650 aficionado and heavily EQ my K702s - extra hot highs are not something I enjoy.

I agree that they're quite fussy with their source, they are very capable of highlighting bad quality recordings and masters. I must be used to lighter IEMs, but I found the weight of the driver to be pulling them out of my ears - further abetted by the fact the fit was just way off for me.

Prior to listening to them I had been using my Qs and Quarkies, both of which of course have wide soundstages, so that comment may have been slightly unfair, but I do still find the VSonics to have better soundstage. Bass impact just seemed lacking for me, no real drive or that great an extension - stuff like Clubroot really suffered as he puts a lot of detail and melody into the sub-bass. Treble may again have been biased by the Qs/Quarkies, I'd have to give them another listen to really bring across a proper counter-argument

My VSD3S developed a fault in Jan, still waiting for my replacements to arrive.

Interesting, what was the fault? If its the cable, you can get aftermarket ones for a reasonable price, or just buy the stock OEM replacements. I presume you've chased VSonic up regarding the matter?

This is turning into an Asian IEM appreciation thread!

The Xiaomi Piston 2 and 3 are another good low-cost IEM with a V-shaped fun sound that easily rivals IEMs costing £50 +.

I've been looking at getting some Havi B3 Pro 1s actually. What's the general consensus on them? I'm on a bit of an IEM spree at the moment so recommend me anything under £100 and I'll probably take a look!

VSonic VSD3-S wont disappoint, I can promise that much. I have heard a lot of good things about the Piston range too, but yet to try them. B3s used to get rave reviews but they seem to be falling out of the limelight recently, a lot of 'newer' IEMs are doing their job just as well, if not better. theheadphonelist.com is a good place to look for IEM reviews/comparisons

 

[Cookeh]

Oh yeah, the review... Yeah... Disso, exams, PhD applications - just not found the time. Post-exams, it will be done (~6 weeks), apologies if anyone was holding out for a review

 

[rids57]

Maybe we could start up a thread dedicated to IEMs and mobile gear when you've got more time.

I'm wondering if the lack of bass you heard with the MA750s could be down to you not getting a good fit? I tend to push them in fairly deep (with the largest tips) and do get a good seal and the bass is stupidly good.

 

[Silly Goose On The Loose]

They are neutral, mids are slightly recessed, bass is rather light, sound stage is huge and positioning is very good too - pretty much the opposite of V shaped

I much prefer my Rock Jaw Alfa Genus and RHA MA750s, both of which are British

Designed in Britain, made in China

Do the RHA MA750s seal well?

 

[rids57]

LoL, I don't think much is manufactured in the good old UK any more, China seems to be the world's factory these days.

The MA750s seal very well for me, I just pull the tops of my ears up slightly while gently pushing them in and job done. They don't feel tight at all but there is a definite seal which can be felt when removing them. Due to the large diameter of the outer body some people might have difficulties with getting a good fit though.

I have pretty average sized ears and the over ear loop is perfect for me, it drops the housings right into my ear canals so when they are fully inserted they have no inclination to come out again. I find them to be very secure and comfortable.

The cable, while being very sturdy and finished with some gorgeous looking hardware, feels like an anchor chain compared with the cable on my Alfa Genus IEMs which is a twisted & plaited affair that feels strong yet incredibly light.

ps. while the MA750s fit me well, the Alfa Genus are in a whole different league for comfort - they are so small and light that I can literally forget I have them in

 

[Cookeh]

Maybe we could start up a thread dedicated to IEMs and mobile gear when you've got more time.

I'm wondering if the lack of bass you heard with the MA750s could be down to you not getting a good fit? I tend to push them in fairly deep (with the largest tips) and do get a good seal and the bass is stupidly good.

That certainly sounds like a good idea to me!

Thats the conclusion I came too, the heft of the driver plus a poor fit more than likely contributed. Other IEMs like the VSonic range and the Eternas had a much deeper insertion and hence better bass response. I'd give them a go with Comply's or even Shure Olives, but Im not convinced that even that would help, think my ears may simply be too small for what is really quite a sizeable driver.

For me and my uses, small and light is the way forward - simply cannot see myself being able to use the 750s on the run/bike/gym as they are just too big and too heavy.

 

[rids57]

The Alfa Genus is very small and light (ebony shells), has a great cable (twisted/plaited), works up or down and sounds pretty damned good for £50. That's what I use when I'm out and about, while I like to lie back on the couch with my MA750s plugged into my X1 for long listening sessions.

I may yet buy into the VSonic range, though it will probably be a fixed cable version as there seem to be way too many problems with their plug and socket system.

 

[Silly Goose On The Loose]

Looks like I've got some new earphones to buy.

On my immediate radar: Havi B3 Pro1; Alfa Genus; VSonic VSD3S.

Anything else?