First, I need to give a shout out to SGS for including me on the tour. Due to the nature of most reviews here, I'm going to focus on the Reference filters, and give only brief impressions of the other two filters.
Set-ups used... Cowon J3 > Arrow 4G > T10i. Nexus 5 > T10i. Sansa Clip Zip (Rockboxed) > T10i.
Accessories: Now because of the nature of my receiving these, I did not receive the entirety of the accessories. However, from pictures, and what I did receive I can safely say that no expense was spared. From the wide array of tips (I only received the 3 main silicon tips) to the different filters to the carrying case. This had the accessories of some much higher end IEMs. The biggest complaint I have about the accessories is actually with the carrying case. As one who tends to keep their IEMs in their pocket I find the case too bulky and cumbersome. I would have liked to see that style of clamshell-esque case come with a pouch as well so that they could be more easily carried with the few accessories that are needed.
Build Quality: This is one aspect where I'm simply floored. Aside from the filters which are obviously going to be a weak point (forcing the filters on could damage threading and thus damage the phones themselves). The actual build I'd rank up almost as high as the Aurisonics Rockets, higher even in some respects. Specifically cable reliefs, which the Rockets lack entirely. That said everything else is just prime. The casing is gorgeous stainless steel and tough. The cables themselves are thick and rubbery, perhaps slightly unwieldy, but not in a bad way (unless you count the length, which is the one downside, as it has too much length for my ears to pocket, and I'm a fairly tall guy). Possibly the best part is the strain relief at the plug which uses a spring, which in my experience has the most consistent track record of being fashionable and functional without adding bulk. Even among 90 degree and 45 degree cable types it seems, in my limited experience, that spring supported strain relief actually last better than others. Everything about the build and design are great. The ear guides are some of the best I've seen. They don't use a memory wire, but something else entirely which seems to work well. Though I'm not sure it was necessary considering the cable was very pliable and probably would have stayed in place regardless. I'd say they are a bit heavy for my tastes, but that can be forgiven, and I'm sure given enough time, I'd get used to the weight.
Sound: (I will post impressions of the other filters as an appendix of sound)
Bass: Easily the deepest and most powerful sounding bass I've ever heard from an IEM. It is truly quite magnificent. Normally with this sort of bass response you would expect veiling of the rest of the spectrum but I did not find that. Instead I found a masterful progression. Overall the bass was very linear and transitioned into the midrange nicely. To put this into perspective, when I did my comparison to my ASG-2s it was almost like the bass, midrange and treble were all separated. This imparts the illusion of clarity, but can mess with how everything sounds organically. The T10i took a different approach and made the spectrum roll. The midrange didn't seem veiled to my ears, but it was definitely darker skewed. For bass intense music this was fine, but for anything else it could seem almost veiled. The biggest issue is when I listened to music with fast bass, like metal. This is what showed the greatest weakness of the T10i... The bass is painfully slow. I take note to not listen to fast metal music or anything with similar bass speed on my M100s because I know it isn't exceedingly fast, these I'd have to do the same.
Midrange: This is where it gets interesting. These are technically what I would consider "midrange forward" but in comparison to the bass they are pulled back a bit. The mids aren't recessed at all, but they can sometimes seem it if you are listening to a bass heavy song. It took the likes of female vocal jazz to really shine that light on it. The midrange is detailed, but significantly colored. It however cannot hold a candle to the Rockets, or ASG series in terms of sheer realism or weight. In fact, I'd say these aren't very 'real' sounding at all. It, like the bass, didn't have enough bite or speed for my liking. Piano and guitar sometimes felt lacking in the midrange frequencies. Again, while not veiled, it wasn't sharp. I don't feel the bass negatively impacted the midrange because of the warmth, but rather the tuning and speed of the driver just didn't allow notes to have the sort of decay needed for realism.
Treble: This is where it gets sticky.There is definitely roll off, and if anything this is where realism lacks the most. With the reference filter I fail to see how it is reference. The treble is very subdued and isn't very reference like. The only thing I can think of is that the reference filter has the most linear response across the spectrum and that is why it is "reference." The clarity and detail were there despite the warm nature. I didn't miss many details that I would normally have with my Rockets or ASG-2s. Though I would class all three of my main IEMs to be more detail retrieving than the T10is (Rockets ASG-2 and RE400) these were no slouch. I'm actually surprised because I didn't expect such a warm headphone to have such detail. In retrospect, I think these would be a better version of the ASG1.3. Which I technically rated higher, but in retrospect I would lower that one by two stars because it was lacking in detail. Keep in mind these aren't the most detailed I've heard. But they are sufficiently detailed in my opinion. They can't hold a light to BA IEMs or Microdriver IEMs, but they are no slouch. They are more detailed that the Sennheiser IE6 and Shure SE215 by a long shot. I'd say they have some of the best detail of a warm headphone I've heard. The biggest complaint is because of the warm nature of these headphones though the dynamic range for piano is there, there is not enough bite or sharpness. You hear the notes but the notes lack the realism you would expect. While I hear the notes, and details, they do not sound right or accurate to my ears.
Notes about Treble and Bass filter: The bass filter is pretty much unusable to me. All my notes about clarity and detail essentially go out the window. It is almost like turning up the dial on the ASG-2s What was once somewhat controlled bass becomes overbearing and encompassing of the entire spectrum. I'm sure there are people and genres that this would work for. But for the few songs I listed to with these filters on, I found them unlistenable.
The treble filter on the other hand was quite nice. It made the T10is more balanced overall. They were still warm, but the issues surrounding them became less prevalent. Details seemed clearer, and the 'veil' was lifted to a pretty significant degree. The treble became peakier and more reminiscent of the M-100s. This would honestly be my preferable filter overall.
Conclusion: As time progressed I've become less interested in bassy headphones. This may be due to the fact that I fell in love with the RE400s and the Rockets which are a warmer tone of neutral, and that seems to work best for me. However I still find it beneficial to having bassy headphones. This would honestly be the ones for me. Though my review sounded rather negative, that is because the reference filter subdued a lot of the positives that I would have normally stated because the highs and midrange were more subdued from the reference filter. Again, everything felt more linear, but the balance was more skewed to warm. The treble filter was less linear but more balanced. I overall enjoyed my time with the T10i, and would consider owning them as a cheaper repleacement for my current bassy IEMs the ASG-2s and make the ASG-2s into ASG-1 Plus. I could use the SE215 for that purpose and just take the plunge, but the SE215 are less detailed and honestly less bassy for a "bassy" headphone. If I could get these for a similar price as the MA750is I'd do so in a heartbeat and take the plunge. These are a great sub-300 bassy headphone and if that is the sound you are looking for then look no further, just keep in mind that these are not the most accurate or realistic sounding IEMs, but they do have powerful visceral bass.
Set-ups used... Cowon J3 > Arrow 4G > T10i. Nexus 5 > T10i. Sansa Clip Zip (Rockboxed) > T10i.
Accessories: Now because of the nature of my receiving these, I did not receive the entirety of the accessories. However, from pictures, and what I did receive I can safely say that no expense was spared. From the wide array of tips (I only received the 3 main silicon tips) to the different filters to the carrying case. This had the accessories of some much higher end IEMs. The biggest complaint I have about the accessories is actually with the carrying case. As one who tends to keep their IEMs in their pocket I find the case too bulky and cumbersome. I would have liked to see that style of clamshell-esque case come with a pouch as well so that they could be more easily carried with the few accessories that are needed.
Build Quality: This is one aspect where I'm simply floored. Aside from the filters which are obviously going to be a weak point (forcing the filters on could damage threading and thus damage the phones themselves). The actual build I'd rank up almost as high as the Aurisonics Rockets, higher even in some respects. Specifically cable reliefs, which the Rockets lack entirely. That said everything else is just prime. The casing is gorgeous stainless steel and tough. The cables themselves are thick and rubbery, perhaps slightly unwieldy, but not in a bad way (unless you count the length, which is the one downside, as it has too much length for my ears to pocket, and I'm a fairly tall guy). Possibly the best part is the strain relief at the plug which uses a spring, which in my experience has the most consistent track record of being fashionable and functional without adding bulk. Even among 90 degree and 45 degree cable types it seems, in my limited experience, that spring supported strain relief actually last better than others. Everything about the build and design are great. The ear guides are some of the best I've seen. They don't use a memory wire, but something else entirely which seems to work well. Though I'm not sure it was necessary considering the cable was very pliable and probably would have stayed in place regardless. I'd say they are a bit heavy for my tastes, but that can be forgiven, and I'm sure given enough time, I'd get used to the weight.
Sound: (I will post impressions of the other filters as an appendix of sound)
Bass: Easily the deepest and most powerful sounding bass I've ever heard from an IEM. It is truly quite magnificent. Normally with this sort of bass response you would expect veiling of the rest of the spectrum but I did not find that. Instead I found a masterful progression. Overall the bass was very linear and transitioned into the midrange nicely. To put this into perspective, when I did my comparison to my ASG-2s it was almost like the bass, midrange and treble were all separated. This imparts the illusion of clarity, but can mess with how everything sounds organically. The T10i took a different approach and made the spectrum roll. The midrange didn't seem veiled to my ears, but it was definitely darker skewed. For bass intense music this was fine, but for anything else it could seem almost veiled. The biggest issue is when I listened to music with fast bass, like metal. This is what showed the greatest weakness of the T10i... The bass is painfully slow. I take note to not listen to fast metal music or anything with similar bass speed on my M100s because I know it isn't exceedingly fast, these I'd have to do the same.
Midrange: This is where it gets interesting. These are technically what I would consider "midrange forward" but in comparison to the bass they are pulled back a bit. The mids aren't recessed at all, but they can sometimes seem it if you are listening to a bass heavy song. It took the likes of female vocal jazz to really shine that light on it. The midrange is detailed, but significantly colored. It however cannot hold a candle to the Rockets, or ASG series in terms of sheer realism or weight. In fact, I'd say these aren't very 'real' sounding at all. It, like the bass, didn't have enough bite or speed for my liking. Piano and guitar sometimes felt lacking in the midrange frequencies. Again, while not veiled, it wasn't sharp. I don't feel the bass negatively impacted the midrange because of the warmth, but rather the tuning and speed of the driver just didn't allow notes to have the sort of decay needed for realism.
Treble: This is where it gets sticky.There is definitely roll off, and if anything this is where realism lacks the most. With the reference filter I fail to see how it is reference. The treble is very subdued and isn't very reference like. The only thing I can think of is that the reference filter has the most linear response across the spectrum and that is why it is "reference." The clarity and detail were there despite the warm nature. I didn't miss many details that I would normally have with my Rockets or ASG-2s. Though I would class all three of my main IEMs to be more detail retrieving than the T10is (Rockets ASG-2 and RE400) these were no slouch. I'm actually surprised because I didn't expect such a warm headphone to have such detail. In retrospect, I think these would be a better version of the ASG1.3. Which I technically rated higher, but in retrospect I would lower that one by two stars because it was lacking in detail. Keep in mind these aren't the most detailed I've heard. But they are sufficiently detailed in my opinion. They can't hold a light to BA IEMs or Microdriver IEMs, but they are no slouch. They are more detailed that the Sennheiser IE6 and Shure SE215 by a long shot. I'd say they have some of the best detail of a warm headphone I've heard. The biggest complaint is because of the warm nature of these headphones though the dynamic range for piano is there, there is not enough bite or sharpness. You hear the notes but the notes lack the realism you would expect. While I hear the notes, and details, they do not sound right or accurate to my ears.
Notes about Treble and Bass filter: The bass filter is pretty much unusable to me. All my notes about clarity and detail essentially go out the window. It is almost like turning up the dial on the ASG-2s What was once somewhat controlled bass becomes overbearing and encompassing of the entire spectrum. I'm sure there are people and genres that this would work for. But for the few songs I listed to with these filters on, I found them unlistenable.
The treble filter on the other hand was quite nice. It made the T10is more balanced overall. They were still warm, but the issues surrounding them became less prevalent. Details seemed clearer, and the 'veil' was lifted to a pretty significant degree. The treble became peakier and more reminiscent of the M-100s. This would honestly be my preferable filter overall.
Conclusion: As time progressed I've become less interested in bassy headphones. This may be due to the fact that I fell in love with the RE400s and the Rockets which are a warmer tone of neutral, and that seems to work best for me. However I still find it beneficial to having bassy headphones. This would honestly be the ones for me. Though my review sounded rather negative, that is because the reference filter subdued a lot of the positives that I would have normally stated because the highs and midrange were more subdued from the reference filter. Again, everything felt more linear, but the balance was more skewed to warm. The treble filter was less linear but more balanced. I overall enjoyed my time with the T10i, and would consider owning them as a cheaper repleacement for my current bassy IEMs the ASG-2s and make the ASG-2s into ASG-1 Plus. I could use the SE215 for that purpose and just take the plunge, but the SE215 are less detailed and honestly less bassy for a "bassy" headphone. If I could get these for a similar price as the MA750is I'd do so in a heartbeat and take the plunge. These are a great sub-300 bassy headphone and if that is the sound you are looking for then look no further, just keep in mind that these are not the most accurate or realistic sounding IEMs, but they do have powerful visceral bass.