Sony XBA-H3

[xKeithx]

Hi all, just want to check if anybody has managed to audition the H3?

I went to Sony store at Bedok mall, sales staff told me no sets for audition, no ex stock also, asked me place deposit to order.

 

[ewng]

Hi all, just want to check if anybody has managed to audition the H3?

I went to Sony store at Bedok mall, sales staff told me no sets for audition, no ex stock also, asked me place deposit to order.

If I'm not wrong my clone master just went to Sony Centre @ SLS this afternoon to see H3...

 

[weng]

Sony @sls has demo and stock for h1 h2 and h3. All going for 10% off.

 

[theory_87]

Any impression?

 

[ewng]

Any impression?

According to my clone master...he's fapping to H1 and H3 non-stop...

 

[theory_87]

According to my clone master...he's fapping to H1 and H3 non-stop...

Time to head down and try it. Shall see if it better than sf5ebx3 or lsx5

 

[Guan22]

Erm, I weren't impressed by H3 at all.
Bass was overly heavy and bled into the mids, treble was peaky.
My personal opinion nia.

 

[weng]

bass is indeed heavy. i would have prefered it to be lesser. other than that i was so at peace when i heard it. nothing like the xba3/4/30/40 kind of fake and peaky treble. i thought this time they have got the treble quite well done. friggin huge though.

 

[weng]

here's the link to the discussion in headfi. can read some impressions there...

Sony XBA-H1 and XBA-H3 Hybrid Dynamic and BA IEM

 

[xKeithx]

thanks for the help everyone, will go to SLS and try it

 

[weng]

saw on jaben's fb they have demo for all 3 models. maybe there would be a better place to test. sls abit too noisy liao. sony noise isolation is so so only.

 

[zeroboi]

Just to share.

I tried XBA H3 and H2 in Japan. Must say that XBA H2 sounds closer to XBA 40 than XBA H3.

XBA H3 sounds more "boomy" and more smooth. No sharp treble for me this time round compared to previous Sony flagship. Details are also more apparently compared to even XBA 40, which I have been using.

XBA H2 is more neutral? Didnt really audition it enough to provide a good review but it sounds to me a mix of XBA 4 and XBA 40.

Personally would choose XBA H3 over H2. As with dynamics, might need more burn in time and also, sony hybrid eartips have very small opening, using Comply's or Monster Supertips will open up the sound, imo.

 

[weng]

abit different impressions for me though. imo h2 is the worst of the trio. bassy and the mids overly bright. abit V-like yet duno what it wants. very disappointed especially at its $300+ price point. however i'm not sure how raw the demo unit was when i tried it (at sony @sls).

i think h1 is worth its asking price. the full range BA may not have fantastic detail nor crisp highs, but it gives an overall nice soothing sig with enough air. the best thing is the dynamic driver adding on a very nice textured bass which doesn't overpower the BA. i think none of the full-BA iems around that price range can match it (bass quality). it's not big. convenient straight down wearing. nice built quality. i think it's great value.

h3 is on a totally different level. no more fake spiky treble of the xba-3/30/4/40! yay! bass can sound boomy but it tones down after some burn in. the mids is full with a tint of sweetness. treble is crisp yet polite and not sibilant. it's very very nice

on the whole, i think the h1 is a nice half-step upgrade to the xba-2/20. it's like a xba-2/20 with abit lesser air but with real tangible bass. h3 doesn't sound anything like xba-3/30/4/40 imo, not even like its h-siblings.

comparing to ex1000, i quote one of the comments in the head-fi thread i linked above... if the ex1000 is a hd800, the h3 would be a lcd2/3. i thought it's quite apt! and to think its srp is $438. if you are able to get some discount like 10% from sls, or 17% from t3 ehub (7% gst absorbed, and further 10% if you are changi rewards member (free signup!)), nett price is under $400!

i've been comfortable with sony tips so far. but after you mentioned, maybe i will try other tips and see.

 

[bangdoll]

Try Diana Krall's Temptation on the H3 and you're most likely will freak out but unless you love bui; out of control bass. But on the H1, the balance is good. Saved few hundred bucks and gotten the H1 instead.

Thus far, its my 2nd most frequent used IEMs on the road beside the EPH-100.

 

[qubec2]

how does the H3 compare to the MDR 7550/EX800ST in terms of sound and fit?

 

[zeroboi]

Can anybody advice where to buy this at the cheapest price?
As in the above post, 10% from sls or 17% from t3 ehub off RPP are the cheaper prices I know.

 

[weng]

how does the H3 compare to the MDR 7550/EX800ST in terms of sound and fit?

h3 is much more bass boosted, darker, crispier treble-ed iem. ex800st would be like its ex600/1000 siblings which is lighter on the bass, airier, brighter and could come off as spiky/peaky/sibilant to some. both suited for different genres although imo h3 is more genre friendly.

 

[weng]

Can anybody advice where to buy this at the cheapest price?
As in the above post, 10% from sls or 17% from t3 ehub off RPP are the cheaper prices I know.

guess these are the best options ba. 17% is already quite significant. unless you can convince the sls store to give you the 20% which they had but ended at the end of 2013. jaben i think also having 10% for the sonys.

 

[TechnoTico]

Bought at $380

 

[weng]

Bought at $380

From where?