Thoughts on HiFiMan RE-ZERO?

[BrianZ]

I'm mostly new to all things headphone/IEM/etc and while searching for my first set of cans (see my other thread) and my wife showed an interest when my first couple sets arrived today (M50's and 7506's). She commutes and is interested in finding something better than the stock earbuds that came with her phone. I mentioned to her that IEM's seem to be all the rage recently so it might be possible to get serious isolation, really great sound and comfort for very little $$. ANYWAY, going quickly through |joker|'s list at Head-Fi I came across the HiFiMan RE-0 and also the RE-ZERO, the latter joker seems to prefer (as well as a number of other random reviewers online). Via Amazon I saw that Audio Advisor is selling them at the reduced price of $59, down from regularly $79-99 elsewhere. So I just ordered a set.

After very little research on the whole realm of IEM's I feel i acted more than a little impulsively. But I mean even at $99 joker gave the RE-ZERO's a 10/10 rating for value so it couldn't be too much of a gamble, right?


And as long as I have your attention, I have a question about tips. My wife (let's just call her Janet, because, well, that's her name) was primarily interested in the tiered kind as she has a set of Etymotic earplugs that she finds comfortable and I told her they are making earbuds with this kind of tip now. How does this style of tip compare? The Etymotic IEMs in our <$100 price cap (the MC's iirc) don't quite get the sound quality reviews I wanted so I limited my quick search tonight to the IEM's that are reviewed well and have tiered tips. But since I pulled the trigger on the RE-ZERO's I now see that many makers (most?) include this type or similar amongst their spare tips, which would open up my search a bit if for some reason Janet doesn't like the RE-ZERO's.

 

[PaulyT]

Personally, I like the comply (compression foam) type for the best seal, but right now I have the single somewhat wider silicon "umbrella" type on my current IEM (vsonic GR07) and it works fine most of the time, it's just not quite as solid a fit and I have to re-adjust occasionally. But it's comfortable, and that's more important. HiFiMan is a pretty respectable brand in general, I think.

There's also the issue of whether the cord is designed to go over the ear or not; I prefer the over-the-ear type, because it seems to make them more resistant to coming out with the occasional tug on the wire, and it reduces the "microphonics" - not really an accurate word I think, but meaning the noise you hear when the wires get tapped or brushed on your clothing, etc.

 

[BrianZ]

ok, cool. i guess we'll just see how they sound and feel. my wife's not all that picky so i'm almost positive she'll love them, considering how long she has been using the random junk set she got at the AT&T store with her phone. i'm certainly very anxious to hear them. fwiw i debated a bit between these and the GR06, but joker seemed to like these more so there you go.

yeah that use of the word 'microphonics' is definitely different from it's original meaning in the vacuum tube (valve) world. but not much potential for confusion i'd think, at least until they come out with tube driven noise cancelling phones. i mean, they'd certainly be warmer sounding, right?

 

[PaulyT]

Ha! I do use a tube amp for my full-size headphones (modified Denon D5000), but most any amp just seems overkill for most IEMs.

 

[BrianZ]

so no one has tried these?

 

[Barney]

Let me know how they turn-out. I have another thread for some for my son (while he plays his drums) for his phone. I haven't ordered anything yet for him.
You stated "The Etymotic IEMs in our <$100 price cap (the MC's iirc) don't quite get the sound quality reviews I wanted ". It was suggested to me that the Etymotic MC5's on my thread would be good (read reviews on amazon & they seem to be prewtty nice). Ya'll don't like your Etymotic's ?

 

[Rope]

Rock-it Sounds R-30/R-50.

Rope

 

[BrianZ]

Let me know how they turn-out. I have another thread for some for my son (while he plays his drums) for his phone. I haven't ordered anything yet for him.
You stated "The Etymotic IEMs in our <$100 price cap (the MC's iirc) don't quite get the sound quality reviews I wanted ". It was suggested to me that the Etymotic MC5's on my thread would be good (read reviews on amazon & they seem to be prewtty nice). Ya'll don't like your Etymotic's ?

i said that based solely on a slightly lower rating by joker at Head-Fi.

 

[BrianZ]

ok the ZERO's arrived and i'm VERY impressed. these just sound nice and natural, period. the bottom is tight and full but does indeed lack some impact, as many say about the typical HiFiMan signtaure. mids are almost perfect - i'd maybe have them just a bit overall warmer. but i have no complaints at all about the highs, just spot on for me. aside from the lack of sufficient bass quantity they would give my ATH M-50's a real run for their money. and actually as i listened to the ZERO's i would start to get used to the level of bass and have to occasionally switch over to the M50's to be sure i really do like them more (which i still do, but not by all that much). however since these are primarily for my wife while commuting, she has the final word. her reaction: after hearing (and feeling) the impressive & substantial lows of sets like the M50's and the 7506's she just would not be happy with this relatively bass light presentation. so they're going back.

and what are we replacing them with? well the new HiFiMan RE-400's, of course. the early reviews and seemingly game changing low price makes them sound too good not to try. looks like the 400's have a bit bigger bass presence while still retaining all the truth of the other models, and that is enough to make me extremely curious and hopeful. add to this the fact that HFM discontinued all other IEM's and put all his IEM research/efforts into the 400's. to me that shows an intriguing degree of attention to & confidence in this design. i just hope they have enough of a low end boost for my wife, but there's hope because she too is a little bothered by the slightly obnoxious deep bass of the M50's. anyway if i like them enough myself, might they threaten my current love for the M50's and make me rethink my preference for circumaural? i guess we'll see.


oh and also worth mentioning how much of an IEM noob i am. when i first put in the ZERO's in i was appalled by the tinny-ness and literally non-existent low end. i thought, how could anyone like these?? is this just what audiophile earbuds sound like?? then i did a little reading up and realized i wasn't putting them in correctly, and i immediately understood what all those different tips are for. embarrassing, but in case any other noobs come across this thread: you're not hearing what you should until you figure out which tips give you a perfect seal. it's not all that easy and takes some time to figure out. once i started thinking of them like earplugs it became easier - you have to achieve that muffled, dead, isolated effect.

 

[GreatDane]

I had the RE0 3 years ago but I didn't like them much. I think it was the shallow fit that turned me off the most. I know the bass didn't help.

http://www.head-fi.org/t/474593/sold-he ... ct-re0-re2

 

[Rope]

HiFiMan's HE-500 full size planar phones are mid-centric. Not for the bass head or high frequency connoisseur. The HE-6 is a bit of departure from HiFiMan's sound signature...well, if you can find something to drive them.

Sounds like you have the IEM's figured out. It's all about fit and seal.

Rope

 

[BrianZ]

just a quick report on the RE-400's. my wife likes them and wants to keep them. i think she was wowed by the detail that you get in general once you graduate from the cheap AT&T store buds she had been using. "it sounds like Ce-Lo is right here in the room!", is how she put it. she's not nit-picky and is very content. but of course i am and i would not have kept them simply because they are still too lacking in the bass. i know some prefer a more flat natural response but i really don't understand who would want to lose nearly all presence of things like bass guitar and bass drum. but what do i know? the mids and highs on the other hand are VERY nice, in fact i dare say damn near perfect for my taste. but that non-existent low end would make them a definite no go for me. they were only driven by portable players so i can't say how an amp would change things.

 

[Rope]

Brian -

Are you in the hunt for new IEM's?

Rope

 

[BrianZ]

Brian -

Are you in the hunt for new IEM's?

Rope

No, my headphone budget is way overdrawn as it is. My wife and I both have a set we like so we're done for a while. But why do you ask?

 

[Rope]

Brian -

Are you in the hunt for new IEM's?

Rope

No, my headphone budget is way overdrawn as it is. My wife and I both have a set we like so we're done for a while. But why do you ask?

Because of your dissatisfaction with the lack of bass. I assumed you were still in the hunt.

Rope

 

[BrianZ]

Brian -

Are you in the hunt for new IEM's?

Rope

No, my headphone budget is way overdrawn as it is. My wife and I both have a set we like so we're done for a while. But why do you ask?

Because of your dissatisfaction with the lack of bass. I assumed you were still in the hunt.

Rope

no, i was just giving my opinion fwiw. like i said my wife likes them and, more to the point, doesn't feel like hunting anymore. i'm not really interested in IEM's for myself, and am very happy with my V-Moda M80's (see my other thread).