
It is very flexible but a little thinner than the Ortofon e-Q5 cord. The cord itself feels slightly underwhelming for a $500 product. The detachable cable is held in place by a threaded bit, which seems pretty fool-proof except that I found myself gripping the threaded bit when removing the earphones, thereby unscrewing the cable a bit each time. Nozzle Size: 4mm | Preferred tips: Sony Hybrids, generic bi-flangesĪccessories (4/5) – Sony Hybrid silicone tips (6 sizes), Hybrid silicone+foam tips (3 sizes), and carrying case (Note: US version includes an EX600 cable non-US version ships with a nicer 4′ cord plus a shorter 2′ cable)īuild Quality (4.5/5) – The EX1000 housings are constructed of magnesium and plastic and styled in the typical Sony manner, with the driver positioned vertically outside of the ear.


Portable Headphone Ranking List by ljokerl.How many music listeners are plopping themselves in front of a proper 2-channel system and treated room anyhow? Seems like most speakers listening is done on some wireless BT speaker. With so many people listening to headphones these days I think it is pretty important. I know it’s on the high price side of things but the Focal Utopia and Clear are also definitely worth checking out for studio applications (especially if you are engineering for headphones). The ER3SE is a cheaper but very similar model. It is a single BA but I think you would dig its tuning. The XBA-N3 has a more Harman type curve to it and redesigned driver and body style.įor studio IEM I would check out the Etymotic ER4XR.

The XBA-A3 is quite similar but a little more engaging high-end and for less money. The Z5 is a deep and smooth sounding IEM with plenty of bass. The BA allow for even cleaner sound out of the mids and highs, with a very similar 16mm dynamic driver rounding out the low-end. I went through a few and ended up with the XBA-Z5. The XBA series helped Sony mature into one of the top makers of Balanced Armatures. Sony continued to push the boundaries after this, but you won’t find a worth studio IEM from them until you hit their their new IER line. The EX800ST are excellent IEM.I think I prefer it out of the EX600 and EX1000.
