Anyone had gotten the XBA H yet for comparison?

Some impressions made for XBA H1, H2 and H3 on listening in the Sony Center in The Curve.

XBA H1

Bass
The Bass hits stronger than the XBA BA Drivers only, say the XBA 1 by much more, but the Bass is never too much or too boomy, with a nice decay. However it feels a bit that the Bass is on a different layer from the rest of the frequency, like it is from a different sound source. However, it does not stop you from enjoying it, great Bass with the right amount and of quite a good quality (Coming from EQ5, which is tight, but suffers in the quantity and the too short of decay, however comparing to the SE530, the Bass is definitely tighter on the H1, but less weight).

Mid
With Good Clarity and resolution, better than the XBA-1 BA only in my memory. Vocal produce splendidly, but the resolution is lacking comparing to the H3 or other multiple driver BA earphones. Good air and clear mids, nothing to complaint about.

High
Can't hear much on highs as I mentioned before in any reviews/impression I made (is there is any ), but it is definitely much better than the rolled off SE530 being there and can be heard, but never too sibilance or harsh, just nice. This also helps in the clarity department.

Soundstage and Imaging
Better than average, sound is away from you, wide with slight depth, at least it is not too intimate or close to you. However, listening to the other earphones I have (EX800ST), the position of the sound source is not as precise, if it feels like the sound source is just beside each other in the EX800ST, it sounds like it came from the same spot in the XBA H1, however, that’s not a problem speaking which you can still identify the position of instruments quite clearly.

Detail
Not as detail as EX800ST, but it’s a BA driver that handle the job well.

XBA H2
Bass
First thing when you start your music without the Bass, you feel that the Clarity is all there with you like the H1, but slightly different atmosphere (Will Come to it in the Mid description), however, as soon as the Bass comes, it take over the spotlight and everything focus on it.

The Bass intrude the Mids and Highs, and it is overpowering that it sounds a little boomy for my taste (Coming again from the EQ5 and SA5000 tight Bass).

The Middle to the Middle High
Notice any difference in the Sub-Section Title, yes, it is different from the H1. Which again will come to it in the High Mids.

The Mid is similar to the H1, being clear and has clarity when the Bass isn’t there (Vocals or Instrument only), but the sweet spot is where the High Mid comes with, I believe it is tuned differently or the Dynamic Driver is the cause of the sound.

Vocals, especially female vocals sound so well and nice, it is just special and it is like how other brands handle their female vocal (ATH Woody Series?), that’s it. The only reason to get the H2 will be for the High Mids for the Female Vocal, the Male Vocal, I do not notice any difference. I am bias

Highs
Similar to that of the H1.

Soundstage and Imaging
Similar to the H1
Detail
Similar to H1 again, or I don’t remember them well.

XBA H3
Bass
Here comes the Flagship, so the Bass should be the MOST…






Powerful???

Over-powering Bass take the Spotlight again, this time, it definitely rumbles across the entire frequency, or this will be what I call Bass Head earphone. Nothing can escape the thundering Bass, the Bass is Boomy, more than the H2, but the good thing is that this bring excitement, this is the V-shape signature, this is the Boom Boom territory, there is so much Bass I am starting to hear Bass I never heard on my other earphones. But, I am enjoying it at this very moment. Although I am never a Basshead.

Mid
The Mid is more resolve and has higher resolution than the H1 and H2, being the extra BA driver, it also carry more weight and sounded more real in the vocal, not because the H1 and H2 are not real, but because of the resolution of the vocal that it appears so. The Mid is ruined by the Bass, making it sound not as clear especially the most clarity based earphone, the Sony XBA H1. The Vocal does not beat the H2 for me. But the rest of the MIds are. Also appear to be slightly more detail.

High
I remembered it is slightly more pronounce than the rest of the H1 and H2, but take it with a grain of salt, I don’t focus much on the High. It is there but the Bass is still…..too much.

Soundstage and Imaging
Probably has the biggest Soundstage comparing to the H1 and H2, the imaging is also better, The Soundstage is slightly wider and further.

Detail
The Details are better than on the H1 and H2, but not by much. You can hear it if you compare to the other two.


Summary
If you want the best of the price/performance ratio, while not being a Basshead like me, go for the XBA H1 if you must get the XBA H Series.

Go for the Vocal H2 if your focus is only the Female Vocal, but don’t mind the Bass intruding a little at sometimes.

Go for the Basshead H3 if you are not like me, and the Bass over everything else, especially if you want those cheapo speaker Boomy Bass and Bass to appear all around you, where you have never listen before on your other phones, but with good Mids and detail retrieval. Enjoy the Bass.

XBA H1
Best of all. I know I know, I am selling the XBA H1, that’s why the praise right? Now, go and get some hearing yourself to be sure!!
Or get from me

This post has been edited by lincm: Nov 24 2013, 08:28 PM

Recommend to hear them before buying, the sound might not be for everyone although I do find the H1 good for the pricing (I assume that you will still pay MRSP for earphones) and it will worth slightly less excluding the accessories if you are used to pay for street price for most gears you use.

I like to add one thing with my listening experience on the last weekend, I notice that the H3 are no longer as Bassy as I mentioned the last time, and the H1 are no longer as clear as the other time too. It could be the burn-in of the earphones tone up/down the frequency range but I have not spent enoug time to listen to them. I do find myself liking the Sony EX800ST than both the H1 and H3, I did not try the H2 this time though.

The other thing to note that the flexible cable technology found on the older EX600/800/1000 on the H3 are good quality compare to the H3, the H3 flexible cable is thinner and also less flexible (would not stay in desire shape) and feels more rubbery.

@jonoave

Sometimes the Sony will have promotion on the audio gears, last year during Hari Raya there is 30% off the XBA 10 and 40, not the 30 though.

I now have the Sony Legendary SA5000 and the Discontinued and Uniquely designed Sony PFR-V1 for sale.

Pm me for details.

Bump it if you like to hear impression or review on these

This post has been edited by lincm: Feb 15 2014, 05:09 PM

Just to answer you anyway.

You cannot use the PFR V1 with your colleague behind you. They can hear everything you hear with a reasonable volume.

The comfort depends on how you wear it, although generally I would not wear it continuously for an hour. I'll take them of every 20 minutes for a short rest. The Bass tubes sitting on your ear is the cause.


No clamping force was felt, zero clamp.

The sound impression will come later. But it sound more like speaker than headphones due to the sound can bounces off your surrounding.

Sony products are generally cheaper in Malaysia than Europe by a shear amount in my experience in the UK.

If you like the H3 signature then it's fine. Why not get some Europe made iem which would be cheaper?


Personally I don't like the H3 and I think the old EX6/8/1000 is much better despite only the Dynamic driver. I am using EX800ST though.

Or get the items from Ebay or Amazon which normally is cheaper but may not have warranty.

For European earphone such as Beyerdynamic, Sennheiser and a couple others that do customs in the UK. Can't remember but the flagship is T1. Sorry.

Sennheiser particurlarly have good names for soundstage and Bass for IE80. Although this is what I read.

Good write up Philip, Thanks for doing the review that I am lazy to do. But that's the kind of Bass I like and it somehow fit my wearing style. Other than that my feeling is the same as yours towards the Sony.

For a moment I thought you are talking about Saber chipset for DAC. Cold and brutally analytic and accurate, and can't be romantic and enjoy the fun.

Still it's a Saber.

The SA5000 has non existence low bass, cold mids and high energy treble. But do take notice to the imaging and detail, it will surprise you somehow. The Soundstage is also almost don't exist at all. But the Imaging will show you the way

Take your time. Your recabled one does not have the treble that sounds shh and have more warm mid. Bass is the same.

Never try to amp it from my side. Maybe balance amp would work better for yours.

This post has been edited by lincm: Mar 9 2014, 08:26 AM

Edited my sentence to avoid confusion, in Bold.

Never though of that the sound from the center!! I was referring to how the imaging can sound to put you into music itself.


Now thinking of it, yes, my W1000x does not exhibit the sound from center, although the soundstage is bigger, it cannot produce the better sensation of SA5000 of being in the music.

However, you need to have the mood of listenong to feel that. I didn't for the first month of intermediate use.

No problem

The Imaging on the SA5000 is different, and it's good to me. It may seem analytical to others, but I just say it is able to show the details but still sound exciting.

Going off topic, I have got my Stax combo already, although it is not as good as I think it to be, it does sound good as a system and have the clarity and detail layering I have not heard, besting SA5000 in the layering department although the detail are close but the imaging are slightly different, the Stax are outside of the head more than the SA5000, which is also more than a Beyerdynamic T1 with Meier Audio Amp.

Clean sounding on both Stax and the SA5000. But the Mid Bass of SA5000 is much more presence.

Stax SR307 with SRM252S sounded very much lke a dynamic headphone to me.