Massdrop x HIFIMAN RE00

 
 
Introduction
 
Massdrop has been able to offer in-ear monitors (IEMs) at either a reasonable price, exclusivity through various companies’ partnerships, or a combination of the two.  IEMs that quickly come to mind are the partnership of CustomArt Massdrop’s exclusive of the Ei.XX CIEM, and lower than MSRP offerings of the Ultimate Ears 18 Pro Custom In-Ear Monitors and Campfire Audio Nova Exclusive Launch.  A refresh of the original RE-0 has come, and it is in the form of the Massdrop x HIFIMAN RE00.  The headphone version of the collaboration is the Massdrop x HIFIMAN HE350.  Here’s the review of the highly detailed sounding headphone.
 
When I had a chance to listen to the new collaboration with HIFIMAN earphone, I jumped at the chance and feel honored to be considered.  Thanks to Christian, aka @CEE TEE, for the Massdrop x HIFIMAN RE00 in exchange of my honest opinion.  Also, congratulations to his new job with Massdrop as Audiophile Custom Products Manager!  Much success to Christian and thanks to @WillBright as well, bringing those who purchase Massdrop's audiophile products along the journey with you both, one person at a time. 
 
 
According to Massdrop:
 
Your Favorite Entry-Level IEM, Revived
 
Back in 2007, HiFiMAN released a line of earphones so impressive, it rocketed the still-new company to the ranks of some of the most respected names in the audiophile world. These debut products rivaled those from more established companies with 25 years of development behind them, and got the community seriously excited about what HiFiMAN had in store.
 
Next, of course, came the RE-0. This now-famous in-ear monitor was released in 2008, and in the years that followed saw multiple iterations within the RE series. The classic, though, was eventually discontinued, despite being a favorite of many. Well, audiophiles, we heard your cry…
 
We’re proud to announce the Massdrop x HiFiMAN RE-00 IEMs, a reboot with everything you loved about the original, plus a few awesome updates. You’ll get the RE-0’s comfortable fit and standard-setting sound clarity (comparable to competitors that cost twice as much), along with a revised cable for better durability and improved microphonics.
 
Best of all, we’re able to offer the RE-00 at an even more accessible price point. How accessible? We’re talking $34.99 shipped to your door in the United States. Made in collaboration with our friends at HiFiMAN and based on feedback and requests from the community, this will become the entry-level audiophile in-ear monitor recommendation.
 
Note: If you're an international customer looking to partner with a shipping forwarder, please read this FAQ. At checkout, international orders will be charged $5 for the third-party freight-forwarding service. You will need to input your shipping address as per a normal drop.
 
Domestic and international orders will be shipped by Massdrop.
 
Estimated ship date is Aug 3, 2016.
 
For those that are interested, here’s some impressions of Christian of his RE-0 and the current RE00:
 
…It has been years since I had the RE0...but the RE-00 do have a good deal more bass quantity and impact based on memory.
 
My IEM Path:

1. The original RE0 was great in the mids and treble but I wanted more bass.
2. I tried the super-bassy Sennheiser IE8 after the RE0. Too much bass for me.
3. Then I found the UERM which has been my reference.
4. Lately, I have been trying bassier IEMs to complement the UERM for fun (FitEar TG!334 & Oriolus 2).

 
My UERM are out on loan but RE-00 seem to have more bass, well done for my taste.
 
Even after added bass, RE-00 mids-through-upper mids are still quite present along with extended treble. 
 
The upper mids/treble contribute to a leading edge of attack on instruments and an "open sound". There is plenty of bass and mids that are neither "distant" nor "too forward", but slightly warm.
 
Negatives?  They were a little rougher/grainy right out of the box but they have gotten smooth with some use. I thought it might be amplification that was needed but now going back and forth with amped/unamped out of my iPhone 6 and 4S, I think they may have just needed some run-in…
 
The full post is here.
 
The above was posted because I personally haven’t listened to the original RE-0, and wanted to provide at least one point of reference of differences between the original and the updated version.
 
Will the RE00 be renowned as the entry-level audiophile in-ear monitor recommendation?  Come along with me to find out…
 
 
Audio equipment used in the review
 
Earphone
 
Massdrop x HIFIMAN RE00: $34.99 Shipped in the US ($5 extra for international orders)
 
Earphones mentioned and compared
 
1MORE 1M301 Single Driver: $29.99
1MORE E0323 Dual Driver: $69.99
Puro Sound Labs IEM100: $29.99
Puro Sound Labs IEM500 (discontinued)
RHA S500i: $49.95
 
Sources
 
iPhone 6 (Space Gray, 128GB):  $849.99 or $399.99 with a 2-Year Contract
Microsoft Surface Book: Starting at $1,499
Questyle Audio QP1R Golden: $899 USD
 
Software Applications Used
 
Spotify Premium – Extreme Setting
TIDAL HiFi – Lossless
 
 
 
 
Inside the Massdrop x HIFIMAN RE00 box
 
I received the RE00 that was inside a clear plastic bag, wrapped with cellophane and packing paper that was all in a Massdrop-labeled box.  I did not receive the white silicone tips or carrying case, as customers who purchase during the drop will receive both.  Also, packing may vary for customers compared to my experience.
 
Attached to the RE00 are medium-sized silicone tips that feature an anti-collapsible bore tip guard/retainer inside of the tips.
 
 
Fit and function
 
 
The earphones are very comfortable, even without using 3^rd party tips such as SpinFits.  The width of the canal/sound tubes are larger than the Shure and Westone-type of narrow canal/sound tubes, but isn’t the largest width of universal IEMs.  The canal/sound tube measure just over 5mm.  Since the RE00’s housing is relatively small, insertion and attempting to obtain a seal shouldn’t be an issue.  Fit is very comfortable to my ears.  I can foresee some listeners finding the cable to be slightly microphonic to microphonic, especially if the cable rubs against the different textures of clothing.  Also, because the RE00 is meant to be worn straight down instead of behind the back, as wearing it that way would minimize the microphonics of the earphone.  An easy solution to minimize microphonics is to place the RE00’s cable inside of your shirt and then connect the plug to your source.  Best results are usually observed if you are connected to your smartphone or are stationary connected to your device of choice.  As for fit, seal and isolation, I personally find that putting the RE00 deep in my ear canals result in a loss of sound/bass, but having it where the silver part of the housing is resting at the rear of my ear results in optimal overall sound.  Fit can be individually dialed in even further with different material tips (such as silicone and foam).  Try different lengths, sizes and brands of tips with different in-ear positions to find out which sounds the best to your ears.
 
 
The details make it worthwhile
 
I can tell the RE00 was well-thought out with regards to design.  There are a few aspects of the design that I enjoy seeing in an IEM, and am happy that more new models that I’m seeing are implementing similar designs – at least with regards to the cable.  After that I did observe some differences.  Some features that I have observed:  
 
Comfortable fitting silicone universal tips.  The RE00 comes with at least 2 silicone tips - the inclusion of the double flange tips provides more versatility to fit even more people’s ears with a deeper fit.  Use of 3^rd party tips are always encouraged in my opinion, to help dial in the best fit to your ears.
 
 
Knurled housing and canal tube with notched tip – the knurled housing makes the RE00 have slightly more stability and slightly less slip inside the ears, especially when fitted with your favorite tips.  The canal tube with notched tip is great because it means that most all 3^rd party tips can slide on the tubes and stay there; shouldn’t be an issue with tips getting lost inside of your ear(s) when removing the RE00 from your ears.  
 
 
The cable, from the earphone housing to the Y-connect is not a normal-looking cable – it is a glossy black color and slightly thick.  From the Y-connect to the headphone plug, the cable is braided/sleeved.  The Y-connect is hard plastic but very lightweight, and earphone plug is right-angled and gold-plated.  The strain relief of the plug at all sides is great and should result in more shelf life of the cable, especially around that area of the earphone.  The lower sleeved cable, coupled with the slightly thicker cable for the upper cable results in slightly easier tangle management compared to thinner-cabled IEMs in the market.  The cable does not come with a chin slider at the Y-connect, or a remote (three button dongle) to navigate tracks, increase/decrease volume, etcetera.  The omitting of the chin slider and remote are something to consider if you must have them as features in your next IEM.
 
As a whole, the RE00 looks and feels ideal – no fuss, no muss.  I like the rarer styling of the braided/sleeved cabling and strain relief of the RE00’s plug as well. 
 
 
Disclaimer and hearing factors
 
The RE00 sound impressions are mainly for anyone wanting a point of reference regarding how they more or less pair with the iPhone 6, QP1R and Surface Book.  Other sources may vary slightly or greatly as the RE00 sounds different enough with these three sources to warrant mentioning.  The RE00 will have a warmer and pronounced effect in the overall bass region when pairing with the iPhone 6.  The RE00 will have a detailed with slight treble and bass with extended detail when paired with the QP1R.  The RE00 will have a more balanced, laid-back and natural sounding approach to its presentation when paired with the Surface Book.  For reference, the RE00 is fairly easy to drive, as a smartphone such as the iPhone doesn't take full volume for the RE00 to emit levels that can damage hearing pretty quickly. 
 
We all hear differently, and our experiences with regards to how our interpretation of what we hear vary greatly.  Some factors that come to mind (and not limited), are: 
 
Your inner ear and skull’s overall composition: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-unique-vibrations-of-your-skull-affect-how-you-hear-music-654940/?no-ist.
 
Hearing loss as we age, also known as presbycusis: https://www.ohio.edu/news/months/nov1998/111.html,https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presbycusis.
 
Heredity, noise trauma, dietary habits, smoking, hypertension, atherosclerosis, are other factors that affect people’s overall hearing ability.
 
 
Analyze this and that
 
The test tracks that I use in my reviews are located in these albums (album alphabetical order)
 
1989 (Deluxe Edition) by Taylor Swift (FLAC 44.1kHz/16bit)
21 by Adele (FLAC 44.1kHz/16bit)
Bad (2001 Special Edition) by Michael Jackson (FLAC 44.1kHz/16bit)
Bangerz by Miley Cyrus (MP3 320kbps/44.1kHz/16bit)
Beyoncé by Beyoncé (FLAC 44.1kHz/16bit)
good kid, m.A.A.d city by Kendrick Lamar (FLAC 44.1kHz/16bit)
Heart Blanche by Ceelo Green (MP3 320kbps/44.1kHz/16bit)
Hybrid Theory by Linkin Park (FLAC 48.0kHz/24bit)
Make Yourself by Incubus (MP3 320kbps/44.1kHz/16bit)
No. 5 Collaborations Project (EP) by Ed Sheeran (MP3 320kbps/44.1kHz/16bit)
One by One by Foo Fighters (FLAC 88.2kHz/24bit)
Random Access Memories by Daft Punk (FLAC 88.2kHz/24bit)
Schubert – Berliner Philharmoniker by Nikolaus Harnoncourt (FLAC 48.0kHz/24bit)
The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd (FLAC 44.1kHz/16bit)
Thriller by Michael Jackson (DSD 2822.4kHz/1bit)
X (Wembley Edition) by Ed Sheeran (FLAC 44.1kHz/16bit)
 
Several standalone tracks (track alphabetical order)
 
Dock of the Bay by The Persuations – A Cappella Dreams (WAV 44.1kHz/16bit)
M.O.R. by Blur – Blur 21, Blur (2012 Remaster – Special Edition) (MP3 320kbps 44.1kHz/16bit)
Schubert String Quartet No. 14 in D minor D. 810, Death and the Maiden: III. Scherzo. Allegro molto by Oslo String Quartet – The Schubert Connection (DSD 2822.4kHz/1bit)
Serenade (Spanish Dance), Op. 54, No. 2 by Jano Starker and David Popper – Wilson Audio Ultimate Reference (APE 44.1kHz/16bit)
The Peppery Man by Natalie Merchant – Leave Your Sleep (WAV 44.1kHz/16bit)
These Bones by The Fairfield Four – I Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray (WAV 44.1kHz/16bit)
 
If I am listening to a product that is not able to be listened with the highest resolution tracks that I have mentioned, I will listen to the TIDAL versions (FLAC).  Let’s explore with regards to how the RE00 sounds. 
 
 
How does the RE00 sound?
 
 
The RE00 has more of a balanced sound compared to most IEMs that I've listened to.  Well defined, with a laid back display, but deliberate with the presentation cues that are emitted.  The small housing is great for my ears, and the tips supplied as well as my own SpinFit tips create a fit that is comfortable and can be worn for hours at a time.  There is well articulated bass, but does not reach anywhere near basshead territory as the bass is smooth but not deliberate in nature.  Mids are full and smooth, and treble is well defined - linear in presentation, pleasing to the ear.  The RE00 does not sound rolled off too early to my ears, and has a slight more perceptible treble emphasis than the midbass of the RE00.  Soundstage is relatively deep in nature and spatial capabilities such as layering, and micro-detail are presented to be more diffuse than smack-dab right in your face.  A nice detour from the very forward sounding IEMs at any price.
 
The bass has a polite sound to it.  There is a quality aspect, but it isn’t the most enveloping with the highest quality of reverberation, slam and decay.  What it does have is a balanced approach to the bass, as it doesn’t sound out of place and is very cohesive with the rest of the sound signature.  Somewhat above neutral (just above slightly above neutral) is what I would describe the bass of the RE00.  Laid back, with a slight amount of graininess to it, but it sounds great with genres such as soul and pop/country.
 
The midrange has that diffuse quality to it, but it’s predictable to my ears, which allows me to focus on the music and not trying to decipher exactly what is going on with the midrange (or the rest of the presentation for that matter).  A nice laid-back approach, like a few rows away from the front of the stage.  It has a sound and performance that doesn’t do much wrong.
 
The higher frequencies are thoroughly comforting and linear in exhibition to my ears.  No sibilance, no strident nature, no ear-piercing tendencies.  However, this may seem that the RE00 is rolled off early as a result.  Not necessarily.  The treble still has meat with some seasoning to go with it, but to my ears the lower treble has a little more presence than the uppermost treble.
 
Soundstage depth and imaging are respectable, as the audio that flows to your ears is slightly diffuse, with slight grain and slight warmness, which all aids in sound that you need to reach out a little farther with your hand to reach, as opposed to a more in-your-face sound where you can reach your hand out a few inches to be fully immersed.  Resolution as an entirety is very good, especially when you pair it with your favorite source.
 
 
This isn’t an earphone where you are going to hear certain areas of the sound signature exemplary or accentuated, as the balanced nature lends itself to sound pretty darn good in an overall manner, so you may want to check out other earphones if you want an IEM that has basshead-territory bass, super liquid-like mids and treble that sounds like it was blessed with unicorn tears (yeah, I don’t know what that means either).
 
I let my brother listen to the RE00, and he plugs it into his Nexus 6P smartphone.  He says that the RE00 is "very crisp sounding".  He also says: “The bass sound is excellent - I did use EQ on my phone though so I don't know how accurate saying that is though.  I had the volume up about 3/4 of the way up and I couldn't hear anything around me. These do a great job of noise cancellation.”  For reference he was using my Small-sized SpinFit tips.  I asked him how much he thought they cost and he said that he thought they were going for $300.  I ask: “What if I told you that they were only $34.99 shipped?“  He responds: "I would buy one immediately!"
 
Here's my RE00 impressions in video form:

 
 

​

 
 
Earphone comparisons
 
Before I start with the comparisons; I have listened to a lot of audio equipment, but I haven't listened to everything.  If you request a comparison and it's not listed in my profile and hasn't been reviewed,  then there is a chance that either I haven't listened to it in a long while and don't want to compare by memory, or I don't have the requested product(s) with me to compare.  Consider being proactive by sending me a PM (private message), sending me the headphone(s) and/or sources, IEMs, etcetera, you would like for me to compare, and I'll add it to the review (or any review that I've written).  If you don't have the requested product(s) with you and I don't have the requested product(s) with me, chances are slim that I will be able to fulfill your request because I always like to A/B with audio equipment that's immediately on-hand.
 
1MORE 1M301 Single Driver

 
The Single Driver is more forward sounding and more deliberate in all aspects of the sound.  More bass, and more midrange with treble.  What jumped out me the most between the two was that the Single Driver sounds like it has a lot more bass than the RE00.  The Single Driver is very detailed compared to the RE00, but does not have the delicate in nature sound of the RE00.  The Single Driver excels in soundstage compared to the RE00.  Both are very different sounds, but what they both are able to accomplish, they are able to perform it well.
 
1MORE E0323 Dual Driver

 
The Dual Driver emits more bass than the Single Driver, so this has even more bass than the RE00 as a result.  More slam, and decay the Dual Driver has.  More forward sounding in every frequency region – midrange and treble as well.  Very deliberate in sound compared to the RE00.  The RE00 comparatively sounds like a pure reference model compared to the very bassy and forward-sounding Dual Driver.
 
Puro Sound Labs IEM100

 
Whew.  This is more like it.  The first two comparisons were such sheer polar opposites of the RE00 it wasn’t even funny.  Deep breath…okay.  The sound of the IEM100 isn’t too far off from the RE00.  The IEM100 has a brighter signature than the RE00, with just a touch more bass as well.  Soundstage capabilities are similar, but the IEM100 has that lower treble boost going on that really makes it sound brighter than the RE00.
 
Puro Sound Labs IEM500 (discontinued)

 
This is another model that isn’t too far off from the RE00.  However, this IEM has more quality bass as it is more fluid and has more quantity to the presentation.  The midrange is more deliberate than the RE00’s, and the treble is slightly rolled off compared to the RE00’s treble.  Spatial attributes favor both in different ways.  The IEM500 with its more forward but highly detailed and smooth presentation, and the RE00 with its laid-back, delicate and more reference sounding nature.
 
RHA S500i

 
The S500i emits way more bass than the RE00.  I usually don’t like to use extremes when I write, but yes, the S500i exhibits a lot more bass than the RE00.  Slam and reverberation to the ear canals are par for the course with the S500i, where the RE00’s bass sounds neutral comparatively mainly because of the sheer quantity of bass of the S500i.  The midrange of the S500i is more forward than the RE00, and the S500i’s sounds more detailed than the RE00, but the RE00 has the laid-back, balanced sounding attributes comparatively.  The treble for the S500i was strident at first listen but toned down with burn-in, and as a result, is extended in sound compared to the RE00, but not night and day.  Soundstage is deep with the S500i, but the RE00 presents it with a more laid-back approach; a more allusion and casual type of sound in effect.
 
 
Final summary
 
 
Would I recommend the RE00 as the entry-level audiophile in-ear monitor?  I will certainly say is a very good sounding in-ear for the price.  The exclusion of a chin slider and remote are the main features that would cause me restraint as recommending the RE00 as the number one entry-level audiophile IEM.  Also, the microphonics may or may not be a factor to you.  However, if you are looking for a commendable backup to your top-of-the-line, with a laid-back, gentle, yet capable-sounding in-ear, then the RE00 is worth a purchase.  What’s great about the purchase as well is if you don’t like it, give it to your friend or loved one, as one of them is certain to love the sound it produces to their ears.  With that said, for the price of admission, why not give it a try?
 
 
Specifications
 

1. Massdrop x HiFiMAN 
2. Driver: 9 mm dynamic
3. Impedance: 64 ohm
4. Sensitivity: 100 dB at 1 mW
5. Frequency response: 15 Hz – 22 kHz
6. Cable length: 53 in (135 cm)
7. Weight: 0.6 oz (17 g)

 
Included
 

1. 2 pairs of silicone eartips
2. Carrying case