[MudEnjoyer]

Wondering whether those that have/have heard XBA-N3 might recommend trying to find one of these as a nice complimentary set to M9?

Yes, it has similar tonality. I wouldn't really say it's a complimentary set as they're not in the same league but it's a lot of fun.

I still keep it in rotation even though I have stuff like M9 and Z1R which definitely outclass it. I recommend the Radius Deep Mount tips for it.

Final E5000 is another full DD I enjoy as well, just hard to recommend due to how hard it is to drive and the usual channel imbalance lottery from Final E series.

 

[Vamp898]

Hey all.

I’m loving my M9 after re-purchasing it a few months back. Probably my favourite earphone still.

I’m still looking for a good DD set to compliment them though and looking for suggestions. Is there a DD set that shares similar warm tonality to M9?

I’ve been tempted to look for Z1R but I’m 99% sure the tonality won’t agree with me long term. I’ve actually managed to get a IE900 on loan from a UK dealer and it’s with me right now…. Technically that are outstanding (not just for the price either!) but, to me, they lean just too bright (not finding them very V shaped as I’ve heard many say, but more bright neutral).

Wondering whether those that have/have heard XBA-N3 might recommend trying to find one of these as a nice complimentary set to M9?

Another set I’m intrigued by is the Dita Perpetua but not at RRP ha.

I would not overlook the XBA-Z5

Here are Informations in English: https://www.sony.co.th/en/electronics/in-ear-headphones/xba-z5

But its a bit older and i think the only place to grab these is the official Sony Store in Japan.

As others said, the Final E5000 and some people say the FiiO FH9, but i somewhat disagree with that option as it is tuned quite different.

An excellent choice is the FitEar TG335, but that one is more expensive than the IER-M9 itself, so not sure if that really is from any interest for you

 

[HunqVux]

I’m loving my M9 after re-purchasing it a few months back. Probably my favourite earphone still.

I've seen several people sold their M9s only to buy them back, the same with the Z1Rs as I'm considering re-acquire a pair, the IER series is legendary!

I see you're currently having the Trifecta,Legend X and Penon Impact, would you mind do a comparison between those 2 TOTLs to the M9s.

 

[Leviathant]

I have the XBA-N3 and the IER-M7 (somewhat similar to M9, less air). The N3 is definitely more fun than the M7; the bass hits hard, with plenty of decay, sounding like a real DD. You will feel more bass presence but also more fun and excitement in the mid-range and treble as well. That said, the N3 benefits from a proper choice of eartips though. Currently I'm using the Divinus Velvets on it.

Wow. Thank you. Sounds right up my alley then!

Yes, it has similar tonality. I wouldn't really say it's a complimentary set as they're not in the same league but it's a lot of fun.

I still keep it in rotation even though I have stuff like M9 and Z1R which definitely outclass it. I recommend the Radius Deep Mount tips for it.

Final E5000 is another full DD I enjoy as well, just hard to recommend due to how hard it is to drive and the usual channel imbalance lottery from Final E series.

Thanks. Fun is what I think I need with this additional set!

I have the E3000 actually. Totally impressed with that set for the price. Maybe I should be happy with what I’ve got

I would not overlook the XBA-Z5

Here are Informations in English: https://www.sony.co.th/en/electronics/in-ear-headphones/xba-z5

But its a bit older and i think the only place to grab these is the official Sony Store in Japan.

As others said, the Final E5000 and some people say the FiiO FH9, but i somewhat disagree with that option as it is tuned quite different.

An excellent choice is the FitEar TG335, but that one is more expensive than the IER-M9 itself, so not sure if that really is from any interest for you

Thank you too. I have to admit I don’t know much about the previous Sony IEMs… would you recommend XBA-Z5 over the N3 then, and why?

I’ve not heard much about the FitEar. Are they easy to get hold of? I’m in UK.

I've seen several people sold their M9s only to buy them back, the same with the Z1Rs as I'm considering re-acquire a pair, the IER series is legendary!

I see you're currently having the Trifecta,Legend X and Penon Impact, would you mind do a comparison between those 2 TOTLs to the M9s.

Aye. I’ve got too many IEMs and I’m in the process of selling some (most) of them. Legend X has already gone…

I’ll be happy to share some thoughts on these vs M9 though. I’ll follow up once I’ve got a bit more time

 

[HunqVux]

I’ve been tempted to look for Z1R but I’m 99% sure the tonality won’t agree with me long term

What makes me want to re-acquire the Z1R is due to the miss for its intense but fun and addictive bass response as well as its brighter and more energetic treble, not to mention the Z1R's second renowned feat, its soundstage which is quite unique in my experience.

I think getting a used pair of Z1Rs, comparing them with your Legend Xs and later deciding which to keep or just have both as extra sets for alternative sound signature is also a considerable choice to make.

 

[HunqVux]

I’ll be happy to share some thoughts on these vs M9 though. I’ll follow up once I’ve got a bit more time

I'm eager to see your comparison, wish you have good quality time with your second M9s .

 

[HunqVux]

Here are Informations in English: https://www.sony.co.th/en/electronics/in-ear-headphones/xba-z5

Wah, I didn't know that the Z5 is still on production, after becoming a Sony fanboy, its super tempting to collect not only currently on sale products but also the ones in the past, especially, those weird but interesting designs from Sony. I'm going to put the Z5 and EX800st on my radar to fill up my Sony collection soon when possible .

 

[MudEnjoyer]

Wah, I didn't know that the Z5 is still on production, after becoming a Sony fanboy, its super tempting to collect not only currently on sale products but also the ones in the past, especially, those weird but interesting designs from Sony. I'm going to put the Z5 and EX800st on my radar to fill up my Sony collection soon when possible .

I got the EX800ST and it’s definitely a pass if you don’t want to EQ. I thought it would be at least passable without it but it turns out it’s really really bad.

 

[Vamp898]

Wow. Thank you. Sounds right up my alley then!



Thanks. Fun is what I think I need with this additional set!

I have the E3000 actually. Totally impressed with that set for the price. Maybe I should be happy with what I’ve got



Thank you too. I have to admit I don’t know much about the previous Sony IEMs… would you recommend XBA-Z5 over the N3 then, and why?

I’ve not heard much about the FitEar. Are they easy to get hold of? I’m in UK.



Aye. I’ve got too many IEMs and I’m in the process of selling some (most) of them. Legend X has already gone…

I’ll be happy to share some thoughts on these vs M9 though. I’ll follow up once I’ve got a bit more time

The XBA-Z5 has fatter (larger) bass with more slam and is also rather warm. Its very typical Sony.

I owned the IER-Z1R for roughly two years or so (longer than the IER-M9) and i personally was not convinced. It was an absolutely fun earphone that does a lot of things right, but in terms of comfort, sound and isolation it lacked behind the IER-M9.

The XBA-Z5 sounds like an IER-Z1R for younger people. The IER-Z1R has a bit of 50+ tuning imho. The Treble is a bit pushed too hard and can make some songs sound noisy and harsh. There are a lot of worse In-Ear and a lot of them even cost a lot more. In its class, the IER-Z1R is still one of the best and i really liked it. But i rarely used it.

Imagine the IER-M9 with recessed mids and pushed treble, that is basically the IER-Z1R

 

[HunqVux]

I got the EX800ST and it’s definitely a pass if you don’t want to EQ. I thought it would be at least passable without it but it turns out it’s really really bad.

Thank you for your lightning quick impressions, which further heightens my desire to get a pair of EX800sts.

 

[Vamp898]

Thank you for your lightning quick impressions, which further heightens my desire to get a pair of EX800sts.

They are probably soon going to get an Update or get canceled. So you should grab them now or never. They are sadly not that good imho. In terms of Monitors, especially for that price, there are much better options. These are (sadly) very dated.

But they are very cheap. Around 120€, so if you want to own them, just for the sake of it, you're doing nothing wrong. But don't expect too much

 

[Leviathant]

The XBA-Z5 has fatter (larger) bass with more slam and is also rather warm. Its very typical Sony.

I owned the IER-Z1R for roughly two years or so (longer than the IER-M9) and i personally was not convinced. It was an absolutely fun earphone that does a lot of things right, but in terms of comfort, sound and isolation it lacked behind the IER-M9.

The XBA-Z5 sounds like an IER-Z1R for younger people. The IER-Z1R has a bit of 50+ tuning imho. The Treble is a bit pushed too hard and can make some songs sound noisy and harsh. There are a lot of worse In-Ear and a lot of them even cost a lot more. In its class, the IER-Z1R is still one of the best and i really liked it. But i rarely used it.

Imagine the IER-M9 with recessed mids and pushed treble, that is basically the IER-Z1R

Thanks for that. I’m finding IE900 sounds very much like how you describe Z1R (compared to M9). I guess I’m looking for something with Z1R/IE900 technicalities plus some DD natural timbre, but more like the M9 in tonality.

In the meanwhile, I’ll look into XBA-N3 or XBA-Z5. Seem to be able to get both for similar prices. Is Z5 the better buy?

 

[Vamp898]

Thanks for that. I’m finding IE900 sounds very much like how you describe Z1R (compared to M9). I guess I’m looking for something with Z1R/IE900 technicalities plus some DD natural timbre, but more like the M9 in tonality.

In the meanwhile, I’ll look into XBA-N3 or XBA-Z5. Seem to be able to get both for similar prices. Is Z5 the better buy?

That is a tough question.

If i would be you, i would just listen to the IER-M9 and be happy^^ that is what i did. I owned the XBA-N3, XBA-Z5, IER-Z1R and TG335 and tested tons of IEM like the VE6/VE8, Mach 70, Moondrop S8, FiiO FA9 and whatnot.

At least since i discovered the COMPLY T(Z)-200 i am almost exclusively listen to my IER-M9.

Is sold all other IEM except for the Acoustune HS1300SS and the CHIKYU-SEKAI 5/COSMOS e-earphone edition which i gifted to my girlfriend and my father.

 

[MudEnjoyer]

Thank you for your lightning quick impressions, which further heightens my desire to get a pair of EX800sts.

I will elaborate further.

The EX800ST has two main issues: one can be fixed with EQ and for the other one you'll have to live with it.

If you see some graphs around you'll notice this massive peak around 5.4kHz, this is not only very noticeable when you use a tone generator, but also when you listen to music. It gets even worse for a lot of people as some have a natural 5kHz resonance peak for shallow inserts.

The result of this is that the overall timbre is completely destroyed. Dave Brubeck's piano for example goes from energetic and dynamic to downright annoying to listen to. The drum is even worse, because some hits sound as if they explode right inside your brain, while others, due to its ridiculously large soundstage sounds way too further apart. The result is this uncanny feeling that there is more than one drum kit on the stage. This problem actually happens a lot with a lot of measurebait ChiFi sets, but it's sad to see Sony making this mistake in a supposedly professional tool.

The other problem is the lack of treble extension. It makes things like the E5000 sound bright in comparison. It's also unfixable with EQ. I've tried. Better to just leave it as is or apply a conservative high shelf, but you won't get there to the level of HiFi sets trust me. Now, I'd rather have no treble over bad treble, but it's still not good for 2024 standards.

The good? Overall the tuning is agreeable, old school, perfect for instrumental tracks. It has a dip on the mids that contributes to the large soundstage, and coupled with the fact that it has a huge vent making it essentially "open back", gives it the largest soundstage I've heard. It has zero isolation though and leaks like crazy so RIP privacy and your hearing, and also the bass is gone whenever you step out. Unusable outside.

The bass is among the best I've heard... you know how in some cheap dynamic drivers you have to manually roll off the infra as they start distorting like crazy and that distortion carries over the audible bass region? Yeah it does not happen here, not needed, and because of that it has one of the best bass textures out there. if you like cellos and double bass you'll enjoy a very good reproduction here, and it doesn't turn into a mess when a track gets busy.

I think the author moved on to work on the JustEar IEMs as he considered the DD tech can't get any better. They're actually very polarizing, just like the EX800ST and EX1000. For Sony stuff, honestly better stick to Eiji Kuwahara's work. The Z1R is everything the EX800ST wants to be and more. The IE900 is also inspired by the same tuning and fixes its tuning issues.

 

[newworld666]

Thanks for that. I’m finding IE900 sounds very much like how you describe Z1R (compared to M9). I guess I’m looking for something with Z1R/IE900 technicalities plus some DD natural timbre, but more like the M9 in tonality.

In the meanwhile, I’ll look into XBA-N3 or XBA-Z5. Seem to be able to get both for similar prices. Is Z5 the better buy?

I own IE900, IER-Z1R, M9 and N3 ....
IER-Z1R is still impressive with the hugest sound stage of all IEM I own, IER-M9 is not so far behind in all aspects and makes me wonder why full BA like M9 are underrated for lows.. (So, I am interested in FIIO FA19 now) M9 is really comfortable, even for sleeping for side sleepers.

XBA-N3 with a balanced cable offers also a really good results, though sound stage is more intimate and quite narrow compared to M9 and Z1R. I could buy it for 110€ .. N3 It's a real fun for pop/rockmusic, I would say really worth every Euro