Lowyat.NET: Latest topics by themagnificentman

Aego P5 5.1

themagnificentman — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 01:40:55 +0800

hey guyz..i just (literally, just finish setting up) got myself an AEGO P5 5.1 with decoder..

this is wat i found out:

1. the sound is very very bright..
2. exceptionally bright ..soundstage seems overload..
3.bass is there but just enough..
4. underpowered...sweat...
- well i plug the 3.5mm jack to my pc and the 2 RCA to the decoder..
- I have to put the volume of my pc to some 80% and the aego to -6DB with the aego sub volume at 65%, to get a decent loudness..
- surround speakers emit little or no sound, its not the speaker problem i guess cos i did a test sound (its integrated in the remote), every speaker emits sound..all this under pro logic mode with all 5 speakers on..
normally on stereo the front speaker will only be functioning..

tell me ..tat this is wat aego 5p/m sounds like..

my mp3s cant seem to satisfy the demand of the speaker..from wat i heard from the speakers, they are actually capable of delivering more detail..just tat my mp3s and ogg doesnt have enough..

i haven tried it on a DVD player yet..perhaps it should sound louder using digital out>?

pls do enlighten me...cos now adjusting to the sound of aego..its quite a different world..lack bass..i'm quite concern..

REVIEWS: Sennheiser HD201

themagnificentman — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 10:33:36 +0800

REVIEWS: SENNHEISER HD201

Sennheiser HD201
2years limited warranty
RM100(including postage) from bata

INTRO
Now now, after swallowing those hyped-up reviews bout Sennheiser HD201 on a few sites(go google it), it can be a rather anxious cum excited feeling awaiting my Sennheiser HD201 to arrive. I just cant wait to see how impressive is this HD201. The packaging arrived. The box was a bit dented on the side but thankfully the content is allright.well, pos laju..so I cant complain.

BUILD AND DESIGN
Fresh from the oven.The smell was nice.Build quality looks solid and it is pretty hardy. For the mere RM100, the build quality is more than you can ask for.No sign of china made in the build quality. Honestly it looks somehow cool and modern. The Sennheiser brand name on top of the headband distinctly distinguish itself. Sennheiser must have poured quite a bit of investment into the design of this headphone.Design wise is really Sennheiser's. Now I see why it could be so comfortable.

PACKAGE

The package is pretty simple as you can actually see there is the headphone itself with its long cord (3M) and a 6.3mm jack converter.Nice and simple. Those looking for extra goodies perhaps you should ask yourself what more can you ask for in a sub hundred package.

INITIAL IMPRESSION

The item arrived. I wasted no time and plugged it straightly into my aiwa amp using the 6.3mm jack converter. Both the 3.5mm and 6.3mm are all gold-plated, mind you I played some MP3s and WMAs through my Pioneer DVD player. And there I went, a journey to slumberland, smooth, very smooth indeed, clarity was there, wide, very wide, wide enough to run around and kick some football, surround was definitely impressive. Kenny G's, Maksim's all become a different experience. So coincidentally, there were some instrumental Mp3 in the DVD player.I enjoyed for a some 2-3 hours while reading some newspapers and magazines.Then it hit me. Because the song that was playing was a song that I usually used to test out bass performance.

SOUND QUALITY revealed

Yes the bass element was missing.I checked with the manual of the AIWA amp. Apparently when headphone is plugged in, it will and must switch to 2channel surround. I then try it with my Sony CD Mp3 player and Creative TX Muvo. Yes, it needs an amp no doubt, I have to push the volume level to almost 80% to get a decent volume.I heard good treble on both the players, the bass a bit apparent on the creative.But nonetheless, bass was not distinct. I then plugged it through my Altec Lasning ADA 885 in Prologic mode. Allright, people we are back on track.

Bass element was there alive. Though it cannot be compared to Sennheiser PX100 and Koss Porta Pro. The bass is tight and punchy. Metaphorically it is like a delicate angel smoothering your gentle soul compare to the monster of PX100 booming away the ground. Very nice, I would say a very different sort of bass. Perfect for some quiet listening. But hear me out, what the HD201 loses on bass, it makes up with its wide soundstage and bright treble. It is sharp and sharp but not too sharp that it produces fake highs and mids like the MDR888LP as claimed by PCworks. Its sharpness and crystality is impressive enough but not overly, just nice.VERY. I can put in some low bitrate Mp3s that sounded muddy n lossy, the HD201 can reproduce it that it sounded so clear and nice you wouldnt even notice its 64kbps, you would have thought it might be 192kbps or above.

in comparison, PX100 and Koss Porta Pro are like muddy dirty monster beating your eardrums, covering your ears with some mud, you get what I mean? The sound projection of HD201 is like angel delicately touching you, soft and gentle.very soothing.

HD201 is clear,clean and crystal.However it needs an amp to power up the bass driver in it.

I finished the whole Season One of Tsubasa Chronicles using this HD201. As many people would agree with me, the background music of this anime is one of the best(IMHO, its the best). And yes, it is just fantastic, every nounce of the conversation is ultimately visible.The background music and the conversation were separated nicely. You can both enjoy listening to the background music and concentrating on the conversation with ease. And don get me started on the surround.

I wished I have a standalone headphone amp to test the true performance of this HD201. Apparently my altec isnt really a dedicated headphone amp.Anyhow, it does provide necessary amp to power this HD201.

Using my I-Trigue 5600 was a let down though, because the amp is not quite strong enough to power the HD201.Well of course, the I-Trigue has a lot less RMS compared than the altec.less juice.less amp.

The long cord is a nice welcome. It is long enough to connect to my TV and AIWA amp. Welcome late night movies! Honestly investing in a separate extension for your current headphone, would almost set you back half or so the amount for HD201.

And yes the comfort department, it is as I said very comfortable, it is light and most probably you wouldnt even feel a thing. Isolation was so-so. However, it might cause a bit of uneasy and discomfort after a long period of wearing it.say 2,3hours. Because in Malaysia, you would have made your ears sweat already.Listening in an air-conditioned room is a different story. No sweat, no pain.

CONCLUSION
For the price, the build,design, and the sound quality, what more can you ask for . For a decent pair of closed-typed headphone with an intelligent design, I would say it is a good buy. It can last for quite some decades I would say. pretty hardy.

PROS:
*IMPRESSIVE soundstage and treble
*price
*long cord
*an all rounded headphone for everyday usage and perhaps for some DJing?
*I have to say again, the sound clarity is so crystal..not that fake crystal sound ok..really natural
*If you cant stand muddy sound, get this..

CONS:
*not for basshead
*not for basshead
*need an amp to power it up for better bass performance
*therefore not for portable players..pehaps with portable amps mayb..

P/s: If you have heard this, then you switched back to Porta Pro or PX100, you will appreciate the bass for a moment then you would say: what is this?muddy muddy muddy..where is the soundstage?I would even say some sony earbuds would sound very narrow.

If you wanna test or buy this or any queries, pls PM me or bata. Would welcome CONSTRUCTIVE feedback

Reviews:popular cans(new-eshure e2c,e4c, senn's)

themagnificentman — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 23:11:59 +0800

NEW REVIEWS
SHURE E2C, SHURE E4C, SENNHEISER'S PMX60, PMX70,OMX90,LX70, MX90

SPECIAL MENTION: Jamo i300 2.1 Channel iPod Speakers with Dock

INTRO (the accidental review)
Yesterday I met up with a fellow LYN to trade at midvalley. As any techno freaks would, I somehow stumble to MV's IT corner. There is this shop (kinda like Apple gallery) called Machines and it is really MEAN machines they are selling.30inch Apple LCD, Bose, EVERY SINGLE portable speaker for IPOD,u name it they have got it.Of course it cost >RM1k, the klipsch iGear seems to be very intriguing but no time for that because there is this earphones corner with lotsa earphones for you to test.Be
my guest, the invisible sign said. My eyes were caught, bleeding with the words SHURE,not any SHURE, but SHURE E4C!

Today must be my lucky day. I have got my Creative TX Muvo out. It's quality is standard(if not better,no thx to yepp) in the market and I believe is qualified to do a review with it.Wasting no time at all, below are my reviews.

IMPORTANT NOTE:
The testing ground is fairly noisy as there are speakers and customers chatting.I would say the atmosphere volume is at 70-80dB.For reference:

* Near total silence - 0 dB
* A whisper - 15 dB
* Normal conversation - 60 dB
* A lawnmower - 90 dB
* A car horn - 110 dB
* A rock concert or a jet engine - 120 dB
* A gunshot or firecracker - 140 dB

In my view this is the perfect environment to test out IEMs and others as most of the time we use portable players outdoors.All prices are quoted from Machines.You can get cheaper at Mediaplex.CX300 at Machines is RM361.Mediaplex selling RM345.

SENNHEISER OMX90 - RM388(yes its RM388)

This earphones seems cool huh..with the clip n stuff.My good impression was destroyed when I tried to clip it to my ears.It just wouldnt fit and I was fidgeting it with a lot of effort.I just couldnt fit it properly, and the store personnel was just as dumbstruck.Anyhow, I hold it my both my hands and press it to my ears.The sound quality was nowhere near MX500.I thought it must be that I did not fit properly into my ears, I fidget with it again and somehow glued it as CLOSE as possible that I couldnt hear outside noises.Nevertheless, this pathetic earphones I wouldnt have bought it for RM20.The sound was like wide, distant like those sound you heard from surround speakers only.No bass tats for sure.RM388?think again..Why Sennheiser keeps coming out all these junk(read below for more 'junks')

SENNHEISER PMX60 -estimate RM200+(PMX70 is RM250)

I have to admit I have some soft spots on neckband-type cans.My first can was an Altec neckband headphone,bought it from my friend(he got 2) for RM25.Looks cool.And I was envying sony's line of neckband.Anyhow, the Senn PMX60 really looks kinda cool.It is comfortable.And kinda close all of my ears.

Lousy.
Yes, lousy.Not much difference from my 1st altec. just that altec is muffled and this PMX60 has a wide presence but no distinct treble and bass.no need to go in much to sonical detail.impedance is it?its pretty high..I have to crank up the volume on my creative to 30/40 for an acceptable volume for hearing.Another expensive junk.

SENNHEISER MX90 - RM277

This earbud seems solid.I was hoping to see some contender to my MX500 and the build quality of this MX90 is something to talk about, for an earbud.Heck, how do i put this thing.If you look at the image of MX90 closely, you will realise there is something protruding on top of the earbud. What is the use of this thingy?I just cant seem to put in to my ears because the 'thing' keeps blocking in a way.I somehow manage to turn it to some degrees and hold the earbuds as close as possible. Shall we go on the next review because I don really feel the need to say of its quality.same as the above.Is this what has Sennehiser becomes?Disappointed.

SENNHEISER LX70 - RM194

I dunno why Sennheiser produce this earphone at all.Perhaps it has a lot of leftovers of materials and the designers happen to have a blueprint only need such an amount of materials.Talk about conserving the environment eh?And charging us consumer RM194 for a pasar malam standard earphone?I might sound harsh and yet many of you might be skeptical but the fact is this earphone only give out paltry sound quality. The original Nokia headset that comes with Nokia 3300 musicphone was even better.You can test it out at Machines.Be my guest.

Have I mention that this earphone is some kinda Alien, honestly..It is twirled around and however I twist or turn it, I just couldnt find the proper way to put it comfortably in my ear.In the end, I have to hold it against my ears, AGAIN.

SENNHEISER PMX70 -RM250

This can is I would say a bit special. It is half-canal, I would say.Because it is shaped like IEM, but it doesnot go in deep into my ears no matter how hard I push in.First impression was (at last) easy to fit in.Boy, it was comfortable nice.No microphonics effect. It only enters half into my ear.Its a half canal half earbud.The isolation it provided is decent enough.If CX300 was 70% isolation, this was 30% isolation.Nice enough for isolation and also nice enough to let voices come in in the case you wanna talk to someone.

Man, I would definitely consider this if it wasnt for the price tag, if..I say IF it dropped to RM100,no doubt I'll grab it.Bass response is first class for an earbud or canal..the bass really astound me.precise responsive punchy yet steady.MX500 and EX51 were no fight.It was as though MX500 soundstage incorporated into EX51 with enhanced bass system.EX51 bass is a bit sony.not exactly nice I would say. But this PMX70 is really good.real good.I would throw in my MX500 and EX51 for this.vocals are clear and projected piece by piece.nice.but for RM250?not worth this much.RM150 would be a decent consideration.designwise is nice n cool but a bit odd.A- rating.

AND NOW TO THE BIG SHOTS:

SHURE E2C-RM350

Honestly I stil cant believe I have got this chance to test out Shures.According to headroom, this shure was pretty much a so-so phone.Indeed it was.why? First the good thing would be the build quality of this product.Those Sennheiser's above cannot match.The cable is thick and hardy.The earbuds are strong and would hardly break if you sit on it.

The first complain was that it just wouldnt go any deeper into my ears.It is prone to falling out.Very much unlike CX300,E4C and EX51.It is comfortable tho.Isolation is so-so as it tends to fall out easily.no match for CX300.Compared to E4C, it is much more bright sounding.The shure gives out wide,clear and concise treble.But the bass response is poor.Very poor indeed.Hardly I can hear any strong bass.Its like a weakling beating on a drum.I played a heavy bass track.Not much improvement anyhow.If I was given RM350, I would definitely go for CX300 or even PMX70.CX300 easily impress you.Bass response and soundstage, CX300 pass with flying colours.not for the shure.RM350 not well spent.No bass bro, you might say I'm a bass freak but no, I'm all in for a balanced sound.Go ahead and compare CX300 with this shure.very distinct difference.I wonder if mylarone would say better or equal.I like the shure's bright sounding somehow.Compressed files usually sounds muffled.This shure can open up the muffleness.

SHURE E4C - RM1000++

Ladies and gentlemen, Shure E4C.Build quality-solid, no doubt.Isolation-impressive, up to 80-90%(non-strictly speaking) there was no outside noise, only static.And perhaps these staticness cause the E4C to sound less bright in direct comparison to E2C.anyhow.Bass response was as expected.Killing.sharp.vocals crystal.even for low bitrates Mp3, it sounded cd quality.there was a whole lot of surround.a bit more detail can be heard but as it is compressed file, the details are limited.I hope to bring my cd player to test next time.I listen to E4C at least 15mins.very good.nice.RM350 quick grab.but RM1000+? hmmm..for that 15mins..I was searching for something. But I don really know wat is it.Something extraordinary, as walabies said, the shure's are another world.I was searching for that.Tho the shure is impressive, but extraordinary would be exaggerating.If CX300 was used as the standard then E4C's sound imporvement over CX300 is only 30% AT MAX.perhaps the source of my MP3s and WMA's restricted the abilities of E4C.I believe the Shure has much more to offer for its RM1k price tag.Perhaps some audiophile cds. But hey ppl, we buy portable players for outdoor usage.Portable players play compressed files, no matter how good the earphone is.the quality of the files are limited.

CONCLUSION
Shure E4C is superb no doubt about it.but I'm just listening to portable players.for that RM1k, for me, I would definitely invest in CX300 then.good value.E2C was a let down honestly. PMX70 is a new contender but at that price range?no..
other sennheiser's? I leave it to your judgement if you ever tested it later.

After testing the Shure E4C, I dun think I will be investing in shure anymore unless they produce another E4C priced at RM400.CX300 is sonically enough for compressed files.no need to get a RM1k for portable players.That is what I thought.I welcome feedback/queries and constructive debates

hope bata can get CX300 for less than RM300, (high hopes? )

SPECIAL MENTION:
JAMO i300 Ipod 2.1 speakers

A potential contender for the AEGO M(I have been eyeing the AEGO 2 since aeons, gonna buy soon if you guys stop poisoning me with other burning-holes-in-the-wallet headphones). WHAT HI-FI magazine gave it full stars. The cons they gave is that the midrange is subjected to personal taste.I wholeheartedly agree with that. As you can see, I was going out of Machines after the testing. Then I saw this. It looks nice and cool with a dock for Ipod.I change the song to kelly clarkson-breakaway on the ipod mini.Disappointment was written all over my ears.Sound was muffled. But bass was there.punchy hard and stubborn.The bass is something you find it hard to subdue.Other than that, sound was terrible.Very muddy and mono.I reasoned it is most probably because of the low bitrates file. Then I switched to Destiny's Child-Lose my breath. ergghh..My ADA885 sounded so much better.incredibly muffled treble. And I left.

I very much am looking forward to AEGO M.
oh ya,there is a very beautiful Sennheiser PX200 white..very nice..VERY..

cheers
check out my 1st reviews below for other popular headphones.

Layman's BUDGET HEADPHONES REVIEWS

NOTE:new info will be added at the end of the review in green colour. and pls do not quote the review..its too long n will cause some inconvenience.TQ

SENNHEISER PX100 (RM190 from bata )
SENNHEISER PX200 (bundled in Nokia N91 package)
SENNHEISER MX500 (RM85 from Mediaplex KLCC)
SENNHEISER MX400 (RM50 from DAVIS)
SENNHEISER CX300(brief) (tested at Mediaplex KLCC, retailing at RM345)
KOSS PORTA PRO (RM150 from some shop in Ipoh)
KOSS SPARK PLUG (RM70 from some shop in Ipoh)
SONY EX51(??)
Altec Lansing Earbud (RM30 from Ipoh PC Fair)dunno wat model..

(pls bear in mind not all of these are mine, some curi from cousin, some sold )

SOURCE:
Original CDs, CDRs, MP3s(64Kbps-320kbps), WMAs(192kbps-lossless format), Ogg Vorbis(tq=8),

PLAYERS:
a)Sony D-NE300 CD MP3 player
b)Iriver IMP-150 ChromeX(multi-codec)
c)Nokia N91
d)Creative Muvo TX512MB
e)PC(through Altec ADA885 headphone jack-meaning through Altec's amplification with onboard gigabyte soundcard)
f)Motorola E398(modded to iTune and through stereo 2.5mm converter)

SONGS:
(current Hitz songs, no classical or jazz or audiphiles CDs)

JAPANESE-ayumi hamasaki, move, utada hikaru, DBSK,etc

KOREAN-BoA, rain, korean dramas soundtrack(various artists), epik high,DBSK,seo ji young, shinhwa, superjunior,garyNJ etc

INSTRUMENTAL-kenny g, maksim, 12 girls band, assorted etc

ENGLISH-BSB, LP, nickelback, avril, jesse,jojo,american rejects, u name it..its a hassle to name everything,current hitz (assorted alot but no rap,doesnt like it)

CHINESE-...alot..just no oldies..

if you have any songs that suits my taste as above, pls pls feel free to name a few to me ok

INTRODUCTION
I have not quite reach the status of an audiophile be it skills or "pocket" wise so this would be a review from the point of view of a decent listener, thus the name 'layman'. I have double checked my audio experience with my cousin and he agrees with me 90%, the 10% being the part of his beloved Porta Pro.

okie..
I'll start with a brief review of the music players stated above:

Iriver ChromeX IMP150

This is by far the best sounding portable player in the market. The sound reproduction is most natural in all terms. The remote provided is very useful for travelers. Though it is heavier, bulkier and a battery sucker(My sony player can last 1 week with an average of 3hours listening, on and off,the iriver is dead by day 2, no thanks to backlight LCD 4 liner.perhaps the added transistors in it contributes too), it gives a crystal clear soundstage with very nice and natural bass (sony's bass i would say is like digitised,unnaturally,tweaked to increase bass). detailed, warm yet cold enough and ultimately surround enhanced, clear vocals. RM499 in the market. My cousin got it in a rare deal.You would be surprised with the price. n i forgot the important part, this player plays MP3(192kbps above) n WMAs in CD quality. serious..there is virtually very little difference between audio CD(original not CDR) and compressed audio file..

Sony D-NE300 CD MP3 player
I have always thought my sony is naturally a solid performer until Iriver comes along. Bass is abit digitised, mids and highs are clouded, not surround enough, needs a good phone to attain good sound. THIS IS ACCORDING TO MY STRICTEST criticism. Overall, it is pretty a decent player for the mass. i would give it a 6/10. Iriver would be 8.5/10.

CREATIVE TX MUVO 512MB
one complain about this player is that it has a hissing sound when the backlight is on. when its off, the hissing died.That aside, this player is great for its value and sound quality. It can record voice, radio, plays WMA(but not lossless) and MP3.It uses 1 AAA battery so no issues of internal battery dying like other players. It can be detached from the battery module to be used as a flash drive.No need for cables.Talking bout convenience? n the sound quality meets the required expectation.good bass, clear mids and highs, nice..better than sony..but not iriver. I would have to say it losses out to samsung's yepp players. yepp players costs almost double but wat u pay is wat u get, it can turn any bundled earphone into MX500+EX51. exaggerating i might be, but was my initial impressions. On a closer look, it is a real solid player with very nice amplification.sadly i haven got the chance to try it with my phones. but wat i can say is the muvo is no fight for the YEPP.

Nokia N91 4GB
gosh i love this phone.1st its rare. 2nd its convenient,just plug in any headphones without converter.3rd nice keypad.4th nice fast camera.5th sky is the limit with 4gb. but it was not without flaws. the screen was abit low-resolution. n its bulky n heavy but all is well paid when u get some attention from the public and the HS28 headset is very convenient.Sound quality is superb. It has enough amp to kick start big drivers.everything is there.bass soundstage surround.ipod would be a loser when compared considering this is also a 3G phone.sadly, battery life is pretty pathetic if you wanna listen to continuous hours of listening.if given half its size,a 3MP camera with videocall,high-res screen,4GB FLASH storage, the phone will no doubt be a hit.users have to take real good care with the N91 bcos the HDD is pretty sensitive.avoid putting it near magnets and metals for fear of spoiling the HDD.anyhow sound quality is really superb.

PC with onboard gigabyte soundcard and Altec ADA885
The Altec system is by all means a pretty impeccable speaker system in the region of sub-RM500 which is now discontinued. Even with onboard soundcard, it manage to provide ommph sufficient for the mass to pronounce 'fuyo!' Indeed my cousin was pretty much astounded when he heard my rig. He was full of praise after listening to those altec VS4221 and those edifiers and sonicgears.the amplification by the altec's amp actually increase the bass response of all the headphones tested by 50% or more.generally the sound was redefined and detailed, those background sounds that has been missing was heard.for headphones already with good bass drivers, the sound seems to be overloaded with bass.it certainly does not sound as natural.This was all in the Prologic mode. in other modes, the sound was good but softer so need to crank up the volume.overall, the amplification is certainly welcomed

Motorola E398
it was pretty much a brief encounter with E398. My cousin manage to self-make a stereo converter 2.5mm to 3.5mm.overall sound was big.acceptable strong bass with vocals.ok treble but sound was distorted for songs with alot of musical instrument..not bad for an old phone.actually pretty decent.good enough for portable listening.(forget serious listening ok?)

Assorted reviews:
K800i:
using the bundled headset, sound was pretty much mediocre.mono to be exact. using HPm-70, not bad.it isolates well and boy the bass would be sufficient for die-hard basshead. clear crisp treble. i won go so far to say it is very detail since its MP3 tat i was listening and i doubt the phone would manage to pump out 320kbps of detail.even the N91 oso lags abit when playing 320kbps files.

W850i:
without the megabass, it sounded like K800 minus the camera sound quality pretty much the same with K800.both phones are excellent enough as musicphone.mind you, N91 still reigns.

My cousin claims that Nokia 6630 has very good sound quality.hopes to test it soon.

sorry for taking up so much space..now to the main reviews:lets start with my beloved MX500 shall we?

SENNHEISER MX500
It was my first phone after i bought my sony discman.it took a week to break in. from then on, the sound just keeps getting better.neutral, clear,incredible surround, mids and highs just right next to my ears.very soothing..gives me the cool feeling.nice.the bass i would say just nice enough for an earbud.afterall wat can u expect from an earbud.RM85 well spent honestly.all the musical instrumental seems right in front of me,left n right n behind..talk about detail eh, mariah carey's high notes hardly cause distortion,it paired best with the Iriver.like romeo and juliet.perfect.when plugged to my ADA885, the bass response increases tremendously and ladies and gentlemen,MR. Bass has returned.it was like hearing a CX300.the problem is i dunno if my ear can sustain that much of detail and sound.I love this buds to death.it even comes with a nice casing for EASY storage.VERY easy.owners of MX400/500 will appreciate this casing.n this is an earbud mind you, no isolation was provided..same goes to MX400..

SENNHEISER MX400
helped cousin bought this from DAVIS.RM50 compared to ALL IT selling at RM75.nice casing.Sound quality wise falls short of MX500 big time. bass mids highs seem a bit distant.of course its alot of improvement over bundled earphones.after burning in, there was some bass and nice mids.decent performance.whether to upgrade to MX500 is a personal choice honestly you get wat u pay for.of course when plugged into my Altec,there was much bass and detail.. a whole new experince.all in all,a pair of decent phones.

SENNHEISER CX300
1st of all, do not buy imitation CX300 from a forumer here.it was sold at RM150 or so, it was a high quality imitation in which only recently it was found out.It lack bass n certain sonical capabilities according to some forumers here. I have tested an ORIGINAL CX300 (RM345) from mediaplex KLCC, using my creative TX Muvo, the file i encoded was of 128kbps. n it honestly doesnt exactly sound that superb on PX100, imagine the sound quality ok..the CX300 turn it upside down,the 1st i heard was impeccable bass, punchy yet powerful n full, the bass retracted just in time for another shot of bass, not tat kinda booommm with echoes like spark plug.i was playing move-nobody reason,alot of instruments,for a ayam brand earphones it will appear to be mono-sounded all jumbled up, but this CX300 separated everything n amplify each into a nice distribution..i wished i had a longer time with it.the mids was there crystal.then i switched to a higher quality file.needless to say, it was everything u ever wanted.imagine a closed theater with high quality speakers surrounding you.Isolation wise, up to 70% with high reduction of selfmade noise(wat do u call this?the movement of urself in which will be transferred to ur ears,a common irritation for IEMs) very enjoyable and comfortable.if CX300 is this wonderful, i just cant imagine how great will the shure's brothers be. according to walabies, it is 'another' world.

This is a great buy..no regrets..but dun have tat kinda money.if got oso might invest in shures..

SENNHEISER PX200(N91 pacakage)
this PX200 was the flight edition.The casing is different thats it.I first listen with N91.Have to crank up the volume to half to achieve good performance.just nice bass, ok treble,isolation was so so only, this is a closed type.PX100 is the open type.before i know it my then N91 was half dead.and indeed it was dead before sunset.the logical reason being that alot of juice is needed to pump that big driver.next stop was the ADA885, was satisfied with the PX200, there was alot more bass now, but treble seems to be too sharp till there's a tiny bit of distortion i think, anyhow it is still ok.the disappointment came when paired with the iriver and the sony, there was soft and distant but detail music,sharp vocals of kelly clarkson.NO BASS.i crank up the volume to 75% only to find some dismal bass.enough said, the only good thing bout the PX200 is the casing, it is a sturdy soft-surface casing, u can sit on it n it wont break unlike the plastic casing that comes with the usual PX100/200.the build quality of the PX200 is very good.solid.thats about the good thing of PX200.an amp is greatly needed to push out the best of PX200.n there lies my PX200 in the drawer until it changed owner.

COMBO REVIEW-THE BIG GUNS [PX100 VS PORTA PRO]
PX100 comes with a plastic casing in which the design is pretty ingenious thx to the brains of sennheiser team.but the casing is pretty fragile.the PX100 is an open-type headphone in which sounds leak out n u may hear outside noise which is not exactly a bad thing.in fact i find it handy especially when i wanted to listen to music n chat with ppl. the PX100 performs as claimed in numerous reviews.great bass, wide soundstage,crisp and clear treble, nothing much to complain about. no surprises there.fulfiil every needs.I throw in every kinda music, it delivers impressively.however it is a very different experience from the CX300 n others,PX100 gives me the feel of a wide open space in which it is filled with all the sounds u can imagine, n the bass are coming from the air, strong n resilient, big n friendly, CX300 bass comes from the ground, it gives me the groove,the spirit, the energy.u will feel very relax with the PX100 as tho ur problems are gone..everyday is a happy day..nice..

The Koss PortaPro(PP) is by no means a strong contender.In fact I first listen to PP before PX100.It looks fragile, as though the spring was about to snap anytime.after a period of courtship, it seems pretty sturdy. n boy it was comfortable, bass responses i would say is the best so far I have heard, strong, big sound, warm and persistent.vocals are projected one by one, clear n loud, it was a very close competition to PX100, for casual listeners u would hardly hear the difference. but if u investigate for sometime, you will realise that PP gives out a lower frequency of sound when compared to sennheiser.simply said, PP sound is geared to the bass side while PX100 is more to the mids,a balanced sound i would say.PX100 has great bass,mind you..to justify it would be 89/100 for PX100 in terms of BASS and 93/100 for PP.PP loses out a bit in the mids and doesnt give the cool and cold feeling in PX100..it is just warm.

to sum it up would be ferrari VS lambo, PP will rock the house while PX100 will get the party moving.

however PP sure looks a bit outdated while PX100 looks nice..both are comfortable..virtually weightless..n the PX100 is easier to fold, tats my own preference..tho..because u always have to be gentle when folding the PP's spring.

KOSS is lifetime warranty while Sennheiser has 2yrs..an extra RM40..u choose..both are winners..

SONY EX51 (retailing atRM119 at sonystyle)
when i first heard this IEM, i was abit taken back.the sound was most unexpected,perhaps it is the isolation,the bass was punchy right from the start.mids n highs are separated evenly, ayumi's vocals come through sharp and precise..nice but something was lacking. it sounded a bit muffled n there is alot of uncomfortable self made noice..some details are missing.I would rate this EX51 as only 30% from CX300,serious..it is a decent IEM, nice punchy which i like alot.not too heavy..clear vocals, just the details sounded distant.I thought my ears were blocked by water or sth, then i put in MX500, the surround rush back like a stream of life..relief.. I would say RM50 is a steal for this IEM, but at RM119, better buy mylarone..tho i never heard it, it must be good considering good ratings from the forumers here decent sound good enough isolation, i used it everyday(currently on loan to me from cousin) in the bus, noisy streets,blocks out quite alot n i can still enjoy my music.serious listening?skip this ..get a PX100 or PP or CX300..

KOSS SPARK PLUG
this is another experince.u push it into ur ears after compressing the sleeves..n u will get isolation..which is better than EX51, press play..n ouch..BOOOOOOMMMMMYY bass...treble was distant n muffled..if outside on noisy streets, u can hear the bass only..tats all..its all bout bass bass bass..n oso isolation...if tats wat u want..lifetime warranty too..

Altec Lansing earphones
Altec tried and failed without grace in the creation of the earphones casing.Altec was apparently trying to emulate sennheiser's MX500 casing.the turning part of the casing is stuck hard n cannot be rotate to pull the cable back..hard to explain but MX500 users will know.Sennheiser's casing was just nice to retract the cable.for the sound quality, it does offer decent bass at a the cost of a mono sound.no entirely mono but the mids n highs seem to be splurged by mud,a good upgrade from bundled earphones.hilang pun tak sakit hati la..so-so performance..

CONCLUSION
The PX100 and PP will no doubt be the best buy for sub RM200 category.very superb sounding and portable.I am very much in favour of my MX500,1st baby.

PERSONAL REMARKS:
I had the PX100 for almost like 3 weeks or a month, It performs as expected, throw in all my collection,sound is simply said=give out a very distinct wide range of component, but starting to get bored, bcos i had expected such performance, needless to say PP oso lost its shine, mostly bcos not much surprises from both of the cans already..

among the cans i tested, the 1 tat can really hit me back at my face is CX300, performs out of (initial)expectation, perhaps i got used to EX51..but still it is really superb, hence the price tag..i wonder how is shure e2c then..

Soon to buy list:
[COLOR=gray]Creative EP630

Perhaps list:
[COLOR=gray]Sennheiser HD201 or Koss KSC75

Koss KSC75 is a very intriguing piece.was hoping to test it(apparently there is some concern over the cable n the vc?).the sennheiser HD201 seems to be a very good phone.anyonel heard of the sennheiser?pls give me feedback thank you:)

Wish List:
[COLOR=gray]CX300

Want to test:
Grado SR60
Shure E2c
Mylarone
Sony EX71
Sony MDR888LP

pictures of EX51, PX200(black casing), PX100 and MX500

colour spots appear during game..wat happen

themagnificentman — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 08:18:36 +0800

hey guys..a few days abstinence from playing games lead me to discover that..all of asudden in games like NFS most wanted N FIFA..colour spots appear during the game..on the football players face..n sometimes it is so blotched i could only c 70% of the graphics..

wat happen!!any1 experience this b4? pls help..how do i fix it? I'm using 7300GT
is the files are corrupted or wat?..
pls advise thanks you..

mouse disappear in games

themagnificentman — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 14:34:34 +0800

hi guys,
tis is the problem..pls help

when i play fifa2006, the mouse pointer disappear n when i move it, it appears blinking with high frequency n when i stop moving it disappear..the same problem occurs in neverwinter nights..

while this problem does not occur in other games..
how can i fix it..
pls help thank you guys

PC needs 5mins to be switched on!

themagnificentman — Mon, 14 Aug 2006 14:56:25 +0800

hi ppl,,

I just bought a new pc few days ago.. everything is well..but whenever i try to switched on my pc it'll take around 4-5 mins before it is on...everytime i close the main switch( all the switches la), then when i switch it on later the pc will stay static even tho theres light on the casing...after around 5 mins..it'll only start its opreation(checking CPU speed detecting HDD etc)

why is it like tis?
pls help.....thank you

My PC spec is as below:

AMD 64 AM2 35000+
XFX 7300GT 256MB
1GB DDR2
GIgabyte GA-M55SLI-S4 MOBO
250GB WD SATA2

n yea the temp of my comp is around 69celcious when theres no activity..is that normal?