[Faheem]

Eagerly waiting to hear first impressions from the guys who have bought them .Especially looking forward to comparisons with older RE-0. If these sound anything like a normal RE-0 + a good amp , I am getting it

 

[himanshugame]

i am getting these as soon as they are released

 

[himanshugame]

post some initial impression guys .

 

[LeonWho]

Haha. Since everyone is eagerly waiting for impressions, I guess I'll go ahead and post a really, really brief summary.
 
Let's start with the packaging. It's the exact same transparent case-like box that HiFiMAN currently uses, except with different stuff listed, of course.
 
Included with the earphones are a variety of tips, 5 pairs of filters, a clothing clip, and a mysterious adapter.
 
The HiFiMAN RE-ZERO themselves look and feel exactly like the HiFiMAN RE-0, but instead of being black, the RE-ZERO are in a shade of metallic gray, which I really like. They use the same cable and splitter as the current HiFiMAN RE-0, with one important exception. Instead of having a typical 3.5mm plug, the RE-ZERO uses a four-plate balanced 3.5mm plug, much like the plugs used by headphones with microphones.
 
This is a crucial market differentiator, as no other earphone, to my knowledge, uses this plug. However, natively, the balanced plug does not work with most sources on the market, giving either only one channel of sound or no sound at all. In fact, I do not have a single source (Apple iPod, Sony PCDP, SanDisk Sansa, iBasso DAC) that worked with the balanced plug. This is where the mysterious adapter comes in. It looks exactly like a generic channel splitter, but it's actually also a balanced to single-ended adapter, and it allows the RE-ZERO to be used with any source.
 
Okay. Let's get to the part you've all been waiting for. Sound.
As Fang said, these improve on everything the RE-0 has to offer. From what I have read, most Head-Fi'ers enjoy the HiFiMAN RE-0 but wish that it had more bass to offer. The RE-ZERO provides more bass, but doesn't stop there. I actually found the RE-0 to be quite thin, especially in the midrange. The RE-ZERO fixes that completely, by adding a smooth, "liquid-y" and detailed midrange. The excellent highs of the RE-0 are mostly untouched, but the RE-ZERO does try to balance the treble out a little, leading to slightly less extension, but allowing it to be much more natural and less sibilant.
 
Well. That's about it for now. I'll have a full review posted by next week!
 
Thanks,
Leon

 

[rarebear]

I have no morals and will write a bias review hehehe

 

[forever1]

I was thinking of getting the RE-ZERO but after seeing the plug they used it is longer an option for me. It's sad it could have been such a nice product.

 

[testrichard]

Quote:

I was thinking of getting the RE-ZERO but after seeing the plug they used it is longer an option for me. It's sad it could have been such a nice product.

if you talking about the balance cable, i think the retail version has 3.5 converter included ~ so you should still be able to pair it with your DAP

 

[zappp]

Any pictures of the balanced connector and the adapter?
 
I believe that only a minority of buyers will actually have a balanced and portable amp.
 
Is there any one besides the RSA Protector? Does the RE Zero plug fit on the RSA Protector socket or is there still need for an adapter?

 

[Rune3400]

Hi, give it to me because i have only had bad experiences with ear buds and i would love to see if these can change my mind.
 
Rune

 

[Nachash]

when this le will coming out?

 

[Mad Max]

 
Quote:

i emailed them, they said end of june.

 

 

[kristoficus]

It's now July... Anybody know anything more about a release date?
 
Im seriously considering the RE0 but it's going to be used with an iPhone, whereas these new RE-ZERO's seem like they will be much better with such a source than the RE0's as I believe you really only get the full benefit from these with an amp.

 

[Nankai]

Tomorrow.

 

[sinquito]

Quote:

Tomorrow.

Please Nankai save one for me 'til I have the money!
 

 

[meltdown100]

I'm pretty new to the forum, but I already have bought (and also built) a few things as a result of going through many, many review threads.  With a huge interest in getting great sound but not-so-much cash, I've spent a lot of time in here to make sure I made good buying choices.  When I decided it came time to get a decent set of IEMs for the sake of portability and to use at work, I came here.  What did I end up buying?  The RE0.  The consensus was unanimous on their performance and value.  I have since recommended them to quite a few people and even purchased a second pair on Amazon as a b-day gift for my brother.  At the price they're amazing - they blew away my ATH-A700's which are more expensive and way bigger closed circumaurals.  They're absolutely killer, I wouldn't dream of spending $200-$300+ on Triple-Fi's or customs now that I have these.
 
So of course I would love to see how the new RE Zero sounds...!  And as a new Head-Fier I promise I'll do a good critical evaluation of them as my first review post should I be lucky enough to get a sample pair - I have good reference recordings (even some DVD-A), a retubed Bravo2, a MINI3 and a y1y2 DAC that I just finished building with a friend's help and also have the RE0's that I can do direct side-by-side comparisons with.
 
-----Just realized I'm a bit late on the sample offer, but I'll still look forward to some reviews to see if I should get a pair.-----