Which headphones of Drop's currently available?
I have some rewards points to burn but there's no obviously good options on Drop right now for headphones Contenders Ultrasone - maybe? I don't own any Ultrasones, so curious. Looks like garbage travel headphone which could be useful also. Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro. - Maybe? I have the DT 880 Good price point, really uncomfortable headphones but could be interesting to try the upgraded version. E-MU - strong contender but $400 is a bad price point for what it is. Which of the above would you choose and why? Nothing else on Drop is relevant to my interests, because Already own 6xx 820 800 s Ether cx Garbage / Consumer grade Meze 99 - garbage bass canons, hard pass No gaming headphones obviously Sennheiser wireless - no to wireless/bluetooth Hifiman - I have 2 of drop hifimans and they make really bad cheap shit on Drop, hard pass on HE-R7DX Aeon - I own the closed, Drop refuses to address #padgate so no reason to buy open Beyerdynamic 177x - wireless, nope Too similar 8x / 560s...
Mar 28, 2024
It seems the frequency where they “honk” worst is around 500Hz. With the wrong tips, it seems that’s all you hear, but with low impedance sources and the right tips the bass is reasonably balanced and extended if still a little light, and the high end is open and sweet. They also definitely require some run in to sound their best.
I’ve honestly had times when I wondered whether they were worth all the effort, but for now, I find them pleasant enough and nicely detailed. They’re kind of more sophisticated sounding than my other IEMs, which are all single dynamic drivers. At times, I would have placed these as the worst of my 5 fairly unremarkable IEMs, but with a good source, they’re probably my second favorites to my Sennheiser IE7s. They certainly haven’t put to rest my desire to try more IEMs, especially since the housing on on the right ear of my IE7 has split along one of the seams (fortunately it’s back together for now and sounds fine). Give them a good source, the right tips, and at least 150-200 hours of burn in, and I think you’ll find them worthwhile, especially at the current drop price.
By the way, I’ve been listening to them as I typed this and for two hours prior, and they’re sounding great on variety of material from Sara Evans to XTC, and Lake Street Dive to Mark Knopfler. The sound remains slightly mid-centric but nicely balanced with a truly sweet top end.
oh, and p.s. this happens with the provided cable and with the cable from MEE P1 Pinnacles that have the same connection. So it has to be the actual IEM, and not the cable.
I understand that audio reviews are, by their nature, subjective, but if you know your product and care about public perception, you don’t let high profile reviews that seem very unlike the product you’ve made go without response that tries to address negative perceptions.
Maybe i I expect too much from manufacturers making extremely small and delicate devices in a semi mass-produced environment, but NuForce isn’t selling these for $40–they’re multi-hundred dollar units. I kind of doubt Shure and Sennheiser, not to mention higher end boutique builders like Campfire, are letting poorly made products stay in the field on the much rarer occasions that they actually get past qc and make it out the door.
(Relatively) "muffled" is still the word I would use for direct comparison to other IEMs/headphones I own and with consideration to the drop price (the higher original drop price) I paid I was not satisfied. To me, the high end is attenuated in upper frequencies (fixable to a degree with EQ I guess), and lacks extension and airiness. While this isn't as noticeable after extended listening (after adapting to the FR) depending on the music or listening a high volumes, it is apparent in direct comparisons to other headphones and especially when listening to music with lots of busy high frequencies (e.g. synthesizer, upper winds/strings) and the tonality of some instruments (not necessarily just high notes). The low-end extension and quantity didn't bother me as much but more detail/precision is what I would like. I think you are nearly spot on that the emphasis around 500 Hz is probably the biggest problem in the signature.
Not having anything else similar in my collection, and the Primo 8 being the most expensive IEMs I own, I guess there’s a limit to the scope of what I’m able to comment on. I hope someday to have something like a set of Andromedas to use as a reference, and maybe I’ll eventually make it to some Can Jams to hear a larger variety of products. Still, I trust my ears, so hopefully there’s something useful to be gleaned from my comments as well as yours.
I have plenty of ear-gear to keep me happy, so never fear. I am glad that you are pleased with how your venture into higher-end IEMs is sounding for you, truly. Good wishes to you! :)