Dual Drivers: Q-Jays, DBA-02, UE700, Westone 2, SF5Pro, and JH5Pro!

The dual driver IEMs are not to be taken lightly. They may not offer the same bragging rights as the flagship triple drivers, nor are they as affordable as the single drivers, but but the dual drivers are a very potent group that has the capacity to eclipse the triple drivers.

Perhaps the most surprising aspect for me during the writing of this article is to discover how the frequency balance of the dual drivers, especially the newer models, is quite superior than the triple drivers. It’s quite apparent that the design and engineering team has gained quite a lot of experience and input from the market, and that enables them to create a more mature tuning for the dual drivers.

It’s also interesting to note the development of the IEMs within the same company. For instance, the SuperFi 5 Pro was probably designed by the same team that did the TripleFi 10 Pro, because the similarity in the character is very noticeable, although possessing slightly different frequency balance. Then, at one point, Jerry Harvey left Ultimate Ears and founded JHAudio. Interestingly, I noticed that the JH5Pro has a similar character to the SuperFi 5 Pro and TripleFi 10 Pro IEMs. The newer UE700 IEM, despite coming from the same company, has a totally different DNA in terms of sound signature, as you’ll see later.

Similar to how you have a Generation X and Generation Y describing population demographics, the UE700, along with the q-Jays, and the Fischer Audio DBA-02, represent a newer generation of dual drivers, with an overall more mature frequency balance. I’m not declaring outright that the newer IEMs are better than the older model, but a similar illustration can be made in automobiles. Just like the latest in BMWs, Mercedes, and Audis strike to achieve the best performance while remaining very comfortable, these dual drivers attempt to perfect the combination between good technicalities, yet still maintaining good musicality for different kind of music. Sure, hardcore BMW fans may still prefer the older generation 3-series, but it’s definitely less refined and comfortable than the newest generation. Likewise, I’m fairly confident that the majority of listeners would find that this newer group of IEMs is more preferable than the older favorites like the SuperFi 5 Pro.

There is also the Westone 2, which shares the least similarity in sound signature compared to the others. However, like the UE700, the q-Jays, and the DBA-02, the Westone 2 also represent a more mature frequency balance tuning than the older brother, the Westone 3. The people at Westone tunes the Westone 2 to be free from the faults that plague the Westone 3 IEM, and one of the things that I’ll be talking about is how some of these IEMs compare to the triple driver models.

Finally, I’m also including the JHAudio JH5Pro IEM in the comparison. Sure, it’s $200 more expensive than the universal fit double drivers, but it’ll be interesting to hear if that $200 is actually noticeable in the sound quality.

During the review, I won’t be doing a matrix style comparison, or developing tables with categories and numbers. Rather, I will group IEMs with a lot of similarities together, and doing comparisons in that small groups. The groups are outlined as follow:

  • The “Jerry Harvey” sound: SuperFi 5 Pro, SuperFi 5 EB, TripleFi 10 Pro, and the JH5Pro.
  • The “Trio”. The UE700, q-Jays, DBA-02
  • The Westones: Westone 2 compared to the siblings: Westone 2, Westone 3, Westone UM3X
  • The JH5Pro: A general comparison on how the JH5Pro compares to the universal fit dual drivers.

As you notice, the discussion includes some popular triple driver IEMs. But the review is not focused around them, and they are only there to give a better picture of the dual drivers that we will be discussing.

Top row: Etymotics HF5, q-Jays, DBA-02, UE700. Middle row: JH5Pro, UM3X, Westone 2, Westone 3. Bottom row: TripleFi 10 Pro, Super.Fi 5 Pro, M-Audio IE-30.


5/5 - (1 vote)
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73 Comments

  • Reply August 1, 2010

    steve

    Great, just order the qjays. Not only of your review but you help me.

    Also they hopefully dont hiss on the meizu m6sl like the ue700 and the cable is more durable.

    • Reply August 2, 2010

      Mike

      Yes, the cables should be more durable than the UE700. I never really tested it, but it does look like it.

      • Reply August 4, 2010

        steve

        the qjays came today. im disappointed. i expected much more. need they to burn in? or is it possible that i get fake one?

        • Reply August 4, 2010

          Mike

          Hi Steve. I don't think they change much after burn in. What do you think is the problem with the q-Jays?

          • Reply August 4, 2010

            steve

            I really dont know. I think they dont fit into my soundsetup, superlux hd681b and klipsch rf62.

            But they´re not my first inear. I had aurvana, ue sf5, apple inear and some other. and especially the sf5 and the apple inear were really good for the money.

            But they´re not bad. They just dont blow me away but maybe i get used to. maybe not. I think rather not :/

            The first thought was, here is something wrong. And it really dont get better, sadly 🙁 I miss the clarity and they have almost to much bass. They sound just strange and i dont like it.

            Soundstage is good. Also the impact. But the other things :/

            • Reply August 4, 2010

              Mike

              Sorry it doesn't work out for you, steve.

              Your impression sounds a bit strange though. Lack of clarity and too much bass? I don't think any of the dual drivers in this comparison has too much bass except for the SF5 EB. The JH5Pro has the most bass of all, but I think it's still very good. Oh well. 🙁

              • Reply August 4, 2010

                steve

                Sounds so. Its also weird to me that my experience dont match with yours or other in the web.

                Maybe they are fakes but hard to believe.

                My current eq settings on the meizu m6sl are:

                60 150 300 550hz 1 2,5 5 10 16 20khz

                0 -2 -1 -1 0 +1 +1 +1 0 +1

                Sounds better to me. I think i like bit accentuated highs and lowbass. But not that much. But the qjays have to much midbass for me.

                Very odd i know :/

                • Reply August 4, 2010

                  glac1er

                  I personally don't think the qjays lack treble sparkle for most people. I remember Phonak having somewhat rolled-off treble and I haven't heard many people complaining about it. I also don't think the midbass is excessive for most people. It is textured, quite swift but is definitely a bit on the fun side of things. Bassheads will still not be satisfied with the quantity. IMO, it is such a nice execution of bass that is clean enough for most music, but can groove a bit when the song requires it.

                  Maybe, just like you said, you seem to prefer an extra treble sparkle(ala ER4S, RE0, dba02) and low bass(most BA IEM are not the best in this).

                  If you want technicalities, treble sparkle and detail you really should go for the dba02. Its sound quality, balance and technicality is one of the best, if not the best in sub-$200 category. Definitely easier to get blown away with, just remember that it may have some limitation in low bass. The qjays didn't blow me away too, rather, to me, it has a such a well-rounded and coherent sound that can play different genres in my playlist very well.

                  • Reply August 4, 2010

                    Mike

                    Well said.

                    If you look at Steve's EQ setting, I can understand that the q-Jays may not be the sound that he's looking for.

                • Reply August 4, 2010

                  Mike

                  I see.. looking at your EQ setting, the q-Jays may not be what you're looking for. You do want some treble boost, and less mid & upper bass to accentuate the lowbass. True, the q-Jays won't give you that sound. You mentioned that you had the UE700, perhaps that one works better for you than the q-Jays? When you mention the SF5, are you refererring to the SF5Pro or the newer SF5 (single driver)? Because the SF5Pro is definitely more midrange oriented than the q-Jays, and that would be even further than the sound that you're looking for.

                  I doubt they make fake q-Jays, as these IEMs are not that popular. If you want, I can ask the guys at JAYS to inspect it for you. Mailing it to sweden shouldn't be too expensive from where you are.

  • Reply August 1, 2010

    glac1er

    Great review, Mike. I find it very informative.

    The qjays has been pretty much under the radar lately, but it is really something now that I’ve tried it. No, it doesn’t wow you with a particular aspect of its sound or crazy technicalities. Rather, the qjays just overwhelms you with the sense that it can do all of your songs right, rarely showing any sign of weakness. It has great comfort and form factor too (you can lie on your ears comfortably with this thing on). It has a much more versatile sound than the RE0, Eterna, ER4, Triple.fi, Super.fis, Atrio, Shures, Phonak, Altecs, and other IEMs that I’ve spend some considerable time with. I remember getting kind of a same thing with the Sleek SA6, but their quirky and finicky build was a major turnoff. Among the ones I’ve tried, the qjays is the sub $200 IEM to get if you switch from heavy metal to classical to jazz to rock to pop to dance music in a heartbeat. The genre bandwidth is stunning.

    I prefer the qjays over the UE700 because of the slight tendency of the UE700 to sound sibilant on some songs, and also the more resolving sound of the qjays. I really want to try the dba-02 now 😀

    • Reply August 2, 2010

      Mike

      I'm glad you liked it. 😀

      I think your impression mimics mine very much. It's amazing how the q-Jays is able to hop from one genre to another without much difficulty. I think "genre bandwith" is a perfect phrase to describe it. 😀

  • Reply August 2, 2010

    jendol

    Mike, I just want to point out that the picture label on page 2 of this review should say superfi 5 pro instead of superfi 10 pro. your comments about these dual drivers IEM intrigue me enough to try out more of these stuffs

    • Reply August 2, 2010

      Mike

      Thanks. I’ll look into it!

      The dual drivers are definitely not a “lesser” version of the triples. You should look into them, you’ll be surprised by how well the tunings are on these duals.

  • Reply August 2, 2010

    noobzpro

    when will they talk bout 6 drivers?

  • Reply August 4, 2010

    steve

    No i never heard the ue700. They might hiss on the meizu cause they´re sensitive. But im not sure. Even if not there are the thin cables.

    I had the new singel driver sf5. But the cable broke after 3 or 4 months and they hiss on the meizu :(. But the sound was great.

    And your right mike, i think i like boosted highs. It just like that.

    So with the eq maybe i will like them, probably. I give them some days. But thats not ideal.

    If i decide after all to give them back, which inear would you recommend me? re0 or dba02….?

    • Reply August 4, 2010

      Mike

      Both the RE0 and the DBA-02 is good with treble. The DBA-02, being a BA should be smoother and better on the transients, but choosing between the two, I think I've got to let Hadi answer that one. I haven't spend too much time with the RE0.

      • Reply August 4, 2010

        steve

        Ok and thanks btw for the help and the great review. Awesome homepage you have.

        Listening right now with to qjays without the soundmemorys of my other headphones and speaker, i must say the treble is ok.

        They just sound very different. As i said, they dont fit in my soundsetup.

        And one thing, do you have to waer the dba02 over the ear?

        • Reply August 4, 2010

          Mike

          Steve, I think you have to wear the DBA-02 over the ear.

          • Reply August 4, 2010

            steve

            One point for the RE0.

          • Reply August 5, 2010

            glac1er

            Just to clarify, you don't have to wear the dba02 over the ear. You can wear it the normal way like usual earbud without much problem. It's just that microphonics is quite bad this way, and the nozzle angle seems to be a bit more natural when worn over the ear.

            Regarding the dba02 vs RE0, I have only spend few hours with the dba02 but is quite familiar with the RE0, but unfortunately never listen to them head-to-head. The treble of RE0 is quite unique.., extended and detailed but has somewhat soft transients versus the dba02. Maybe you might want to refer to its review in this website. From the short time I've spent with the dba02, I think it is a more well-rounded IEM than the RE0 (which can sound somewhat fuzzy and laid-back in comparison)

  • Reply August 5, 2010

    steve

    I think i go with the dba02. Unfortunately they´re sold out right now.

    Thanks guys.

    • Reply August 5, 2010

      Mike

      Keep us updated steve. 🙂

      • Reply January 5, 2011

        steve

        Hi Mike,

        I had the chance to try out the dba02 for a couple days and you were right, the qjays are more musical/natural. I really get used to the sound of the qjays. The sound is not top notch but very good for the money, so you cant complain. Sadly the cable broke couple days ago so maybe I go for the se425.

        The dba02 had already to much highs. If you change to the qjays after the dba, you might miss a little bit of clarity but you havent that level of hiss. So its not really an upgrade if you already have the qjays.

        I also heard the ue200, ther´re really good for the money. Check them out.

        • Reply January 6, 2011

          Mike

          Hi Steve,
          Good to hear you reporting back. The q-Jays are a little something, aren't they? 😀 Too bad to hear about the cables, but the SE425 sounds like an interesting choice. I haven't had the chance to listen to that one. 😀

  • Reply August 7, 2010

    Bill Henderson

    Mike,
    Great comparison. I own the Westone2 (as well as the 1 and 3). I think you will find the seal a lot better if you use the Comply “P” series (standard size) tips. I fine the seal almost as good as my custom in-ear Tunz Duos.

    Bill H.

    • Reply August 7, 2010

      Mike

      HI Bill,
      Thanks for the tip. Yes, I used the Westone 2 with the Comply P and the newer Comply S tips.

  • Reply August 15, 2010

    glac1er

    Mike has been very kind to let me borrow his UE700. After listening to it for few weeks, I think they do a little bit of everything well, fairly well-balanced, with some UE forwardness sprinkled in. I love their form factor. I personally prefer the DBA02(for technical prowess) and q-jays(smoother overall and better bass articulation), but their recent ebay price of around $100 makes them a very nice value. They are easily one of the best sub-$150 IEM I have tried.

  • Reply August 21, 2010

    steve

    Hello again,

    i wanted to ask if the JH5Pro are even better then the UM3X.

    And my current situation: I couldnt wait so long for the DBA02 so I order the SF5 again but for only 50€. They´re pretty good for the money but thats not the end of line for me. I`m not 100% convinced.

    So i will order the DBA02 soon.

    • Reply August 21, 2010

      Mike

      Hi Steve,

      JH5Pro vs UM3X. Honestly I can't answer that thoroughly in a single comment post like this, but I'll try to sum it up:

      1. Fit: JH5Pro wins

      2. Sound signature: JH5Pro would PROBABLY be more fun for more people, than the flat-sounding UM3X.

      3. Technicalities: Some areas like soundstage, JH5Pro wins. Transients and details, I really have to compare again to be sure.

      Please wait for our RE-ZERO review. Looking at your last EQ setting, this may be a good IEM for you. 🙂

  • Reply August 21, 2010

    John

    Hi Mike, great review there. I’d like to ask of your in-depth opinion of the JH5Pro vs the 3 driver IEMs, specifically the tf10, um3x and w3 since their price are in the same ballpark. I personally had the tri-fi and got a chance to try out the q-jays. I can relate very well to your comments of the q-jays. However I felt both the tf10 and q-jays bass do not go that low as I’d like them to; impact wise too (I am ampless, straight out of a 3GS). Based on that, is the JH5Pro an obvious step forward for me now that my tf10 is sold because of fit issues, or will the w3 or um3x fit my bill better? Also, since the JH5 only has 2 drivers, does it have any technical disadvantages when compared to the trios?

    Looking forward to your reply.

    • Reply August 21, 2010

      Mike

      Hi John,
      I can understand if you feel that the TF10 and the q-Jays’ bass don’t go as low as you’d like. However, the TF10 pro has one of the most impactful bass among IEMs I’ve tried, and it doesn’t need an amp to give out that impact either. What I’m saying is, it’s gonna be hard to beat the bass impact of the TF10 as long as you’re still in the realm of IEMs, and short of a JH16Pro + RSA protector combo.

      Now, between the JH5Pro and the TF10Pro:
      1. JH5Pro has better frequency balance than the TF10Pro. The treble on the TF10Pro is excessive, and the midrange to bass transition is a bit abrupt.
      2. TF10Pro has stronger upper bass punch than the JH5Pro, but the JH5Pro has more low bass. So in a sense you want the stronger upper bass punch of the TF10Pro combined with the low bass performance of the JH5Pro. That you won’t find on either products.
      3. W3 or UM3X? What exactly are you looking for in an IEM, if bass, I don’t think either Westones are any stronger than the TF10 in bass.
      4. JH5 has some technical disadvantages, but also some technical advantages compared to the trios:
      – JH5 loses on transients
      – JH5 has bigger soundstage, blacker background, better separation and low level detail.

      Cheers.

      • Reply August 21, 2010

        John

        Hi Mike

        Thanks for the swift reply. I understand that the TF10 is already one of the peaks in universal IEMs. I think the reason I'm not getting the impact was fit issues, the left side was alright but the right earphone just wouldn't stay. I also noticed that since the TF10 has plenty of room (due to its shape) to move about in my ears, I don't get consistent bass impact.

        I am looking for a comfortable IEM that is clean sounding (something like the TF10) and with tangible bass. Just to add on, I actually enjoyed the treble of the TF10 because it was not fatiguing. But the many comments that the W3 is not the same makes me worried.

        • Reply August 21, 2010

          Mike

          If you can tell me the kind of music you prioritize the most, perhaps I can help narrow down the choice for you. Keep in mind that there is no one perfect IEM for everything. 🙂

          • Reply August 21, 2010

            John

            I think that's going to be difficult! I listen to a wide range of genres and love them all. One moment it is Andrea Bocelli, Celine Dion, then it is Linkin Park, Eminem, maybe Eagles, some Westlife and Leona Lewis as well.

            Really appreciate your help 🙂

  • Reply August 21, 2010

    Mike

    Dude, that sucks! 🙂

    You know, I noticed that you mentioned that the TF10 treble is fine for you. If that's the case, then the W3's treble shouldn't be an issue for you as well.

    Most of the big name triple drivers have good bass punch, though none of them really excel at low bass. I'm talking about the W3, UM3X, SE530, and TF10. Since your problem with the TF10s are the fit (who doesn't, anyway?), you can try the W3 or the SE530. I think the UM3X is a little too flat, and sometimes, uninvolving. The W3 and SE530 are tuned for music and are great for general multi-purpose stuff. Both the W3 and SE530 has good bass punch, although the character is a bit different than the TF10. I don't think it matters too much, because you're listening to a wide genre spread anyway.

    Between the two, my recommendation is more to the SE530. They also have released the newer version, SE535, with removable cable and better design. So I guess you can go with that one.

    Back to the JH5Pro, it has good bass punch and low bass as well. But if you're used to the TF10, the JH5 bass punch may not be enough for you.

  • Reply August 22, 2010

    John

    Thanks for your recommendations, Mike. However, the people over at Head-Fi are saying that SE535 has little bass, less than SE530 but I don't know how true that is and it is a little pricier.

    On a side note, I wonder why the UM3X is usually more favored as compared to W3 if they are flat and uninvolving. The UM3X always tend to have a higher resale value than W3.

    I guess I will pass the JH5 too.

  • Reply August 22, 2010

    Mike

    You know, I did notice that too when I listened to the SE535 the last time. It was a brand new unit, compared to a well burnt-in SE530. I thought the cables or whatever was attributing to the differences, but I wasn't sure because I really haven't spent too much time with it.

    I'll definitely will be comparing the SE535 to the SE530, so stay in tune for the article.

    As for the UM3X vs the Westone 3, I know that each camp has their own defenders as to which is the "better" one. The fact of the matter is the UM line is tuned for professional musicians, where the Westone line is tuned for personal music. I'm not saying that gears tuned to professional uses are bad, cause a lot of people enjoy listening to AKG, Sony, Beyer, or Sennheiser headphones that has been tuned for professional uses. But after listening to the different "professional" vs "audiophile" gears, I do understand why an audio gear company tune a certain gear differently for audiophiles, and also different for professionals. Most of these companies, Westone inclued, know what they're doing, and so the majority of people should enjoy the "audiophile" gear more for music listening. But there's always exceptions to the rule.

    I like the UM3X for some music, and the Westone 3 for other. The UM3X is more neutral, and that's good. But it can also be flat an un-involving. There is a lot of variables in the combination — recording, mixing, mastering, genre, source, amps, personal preference, … At the end of the day, given your wiiiiiddeeeeee playlist genre, I'd recommend the W3 over the UM3X. And the SE530/535 over both of the Westones. But I can be wrong, like anybody else. 😉

    Cheers.

  • Reply August 22, 2010

    steve

    I just compared the SF5 and the Qjays nearly and I prefer the Qjays :/ So soundmemories are useless after such a long time.

    Also is the comfort better with the Qjays.

    I think i need the sound of the RF62 in a inear to become complete happy 😀

    I´m at the point where I consider to keep the qjays for the next time. The comfort is awesome with them and the sound is pretty good too.

    • Reply August 23, 2010

      Mike

      Good to hear that, steve. 🙂

      What's an RF62?

  • Reply August 23, 2010

    John

    Thanks Mike, looking forward to your comparison of the Shures.

  • Reply August 24, 2010

    steve

    Klipsch RF62 speaker.

  • Reply September 5, 2010

    iyayy

    how come ck10 isnt here? 🙁

  • Reply October 13, 2010

    Chris

    Hi Mike,

    Great round up. Wish I'd found your site sooner.

    I bought some q-Jays recently. Comfort-wise I can't fault them, they're great. Trebble also excellent (bright but doesn't feel like a white hot poker in the eye after 30 minutes of listening). I see that a lot of people (yourself included) reckon they have good bass reproduciton and can jump genres.

    I listen to a huge range, from classic rock to some deep drum & bass (comments on my music taste aside!) and I find the bass quite frankly weak. The buds are in nice and securely, good seal. Usually listening to 320kpbs MP3s on my iPhone, though sometimes as low as 192kbps.

    Any ideas? I'm almost ready to swap them out for something else sadly

    I want the comfort, soundstage, fidelity and easy listening of the q-jays, I just *demand* that deep rolling baseline in my music 🙂

    • Reply October 14, 2010

      Chris

      Thanks for the tip Mike. I'm quite new to the world of IEMs. I have played about with the Q's this evening and found some improvement with adjustment of the outer sleeves and got a tighter fit (can you push these too far into your ear?!)

      I wonder if a portable headphone amp might help drive the bass a little further?

      I really do love how these 'phones sound for clarity, they blow my old Bose QC3's away (probably not much of a revelation for you, but I used to spend a lot of time on long haul flights). If I could boost the bass with an amp, have portability to work off my iPhone on the move and maybe a USB port to run from my Macbook, I'm back in business.

      • Reply October 13, 2010

        Mike

        Hi Chris,
        If you’re new to IEMs perhaps you can try the triple drivers (Westone 3, Shure SE535, UE TripleFi10). Most of them has lots more bass than the dual drivers.

  • Reply January 13, 2011

    Arthur K.

    Hi Mike, if you're still keeping track of this, I'd love some advice, hehe 😛 I'm considering iem's at the moment and am on the fence as to what to buy. I listen to trance [DT8 Project, Armin Van Buuren, Markus Schulz, Tiesto, Trance Control, etc. (you get the idea, haha!) and I also listen to post-modern metal such as [Dance Gavin Dance, blessthefall, The Devil Wears Prada, etc.) (YES I AM A TEEN! :P) I care about bass the most, if I can sacrifice vocals for bass, I am up for it.
    However the point of that, I was very leaning towards getting Q Jays, but then I heard of the DBA-02, and am now at a standpoint as to what to buy.. I'm planning to spend max of what the Q Jays cost, around 230 USD, so any suggestions? Thanks!

    • Reply January 13, 2011

      Arthur K.

      oh, and if it helps at all, I've had the beats tour (don't like them) and now have the bose qc15 (returning them because I don't fly a lot, which is what they're made for, that and I realized that I just love in ear headphones too much!)

    • Reply January 13, 2011

      Arthur K.

      and when I was talking about I care about bass the most, that doesn't mean I'd like head-bumping, in-your-face bass, I plainly meant that I would like a BIT stronger bass than neutral to bring out the music in the songs I listen to.

      • Reply January 13, 2011

        Mike

        Thanks for the additional info. I still think that the Superfi 5 PRO and UM3X would be best for your music.

        • Reply January 13, 2011

          Arthur K.

          Thanks for the advice (and the very quick response time seeing as this hasn't been responded to in around 3 months)!

          • Reply January 13, 2011

            Mike

            Every comments get forwarded to my Blackberry and so I can reply to it instantly. 🙂

          • Reply January 13, 2011

            Arthur K.

            However I do have another question, I've been browsing, and I've seen that with a custom fit earbud, the Jays Q-Jays seem to be stronger in bass, is that true?

            • Reply January 13, 2011

              Mike

              I've used custom molded tips in the past, and while better seal do give increased bass quantity, I doubt it'll be able to take the Q-Jays bass punch up to the level of SF5Pro and UM3X. I personally listen to Armin Van Buuren, so I sort of know what kind of a bass works well.

              I was recommending the q-Jays in this article primarily due to its well-balanced frequency response, good transients, and very wide genre bandwith. But for punchy bass, the SF5Pro or UM3X is better.

              • Reply January 13, 2011

                Arthur K.

                Okay, thanks again for the very good advice, you've just helped me decide what earphones I'm ordering tomorrow! Great review, great and helpful guy! Great to have people like you helping people like me who are generally lost when it comes to making decisions like this!

                • Reply January 13, 2011

                  Mike

                  Hopefully the IEMs turn out to be a good match for you! 🙂

    • Reply January 13, 2011

      Mike

      Nice music choice!The q-Jays' bass is just moderate and not powerful enough for those music. The DBA-02 would also be too hot in the treble for those recordings. I'd suggest you go with the UE Superfi.5 PRO, or the Westone UM3X (triple driver).

  • Reply January 15, 2011

    Rafael

    Hi Mike,

    Whats the DBA-02 upgrade in customs direction?

    Thanks…

    • Reply January 15, 2011

      Mike

      Rafael,
      My experience with customs are rather limited, only with the UM Mage and JH stuff, and none of them has the DBA-02 sound. From talking to other people and hearing their impressions, I don't think that the current Westone ES5 or UE stuff also carries the DBA-02 sound.

      • Reply January 18, 2011

        Rafael

        And DBA-02 VS Mage in your opinion?

        • Reply January 19, 2011

          Mike

          If you read the part about how the JH5 compare to the rest of the dual drivers, you notice that it has a superior soundstage, blacker backgound, etc. The Mage is even better than the JH5. So, that should give you a rough idea of the comparison between the Mage to the DBA-02, sound signature aside.

  • Reply January 28, 2011

    steve

    I found the perfect inear in the 100€ segment for me…Phonak Audeo. I also had the chance to listen to the Earsonics SM3, Shure SE425, Westone UM3X and the Phonaks. The SE425 are too neutral for me. In that case neutral is equal to boring . The SM3 are megafun but the comfort is poor. The Westone is in the middle. Good comfort, good sound.

    • Reply January 29, 2011

      Anonymous

      Sweet. Is this the original or the later bassy version?

      • Reply January 30, 2011

        steve

        I listen to the grey filters right now. The most neutral filter.

        • Reply January 31, 2011

          Anonymous

          Nice.. The phonaks are nice, glad you enjoy it. 🙂

  • Reply August 14, 2011

    Reckoncile

    What are the cables did you use for SuperFi 5 Pro and M-Audio IE-30.

    • Reply August 15, 2011

      Anonymous

      Stock cables.

  • Reply November 1, 2013

    SallyMaeSusan

    An article on double-drivers and nothing from Shure? Mmmkay…

    • Reply November 1, 2013

      Mike

      Yeah sorry tried my best to get all the dual drivers I can.

  • Reply May 22, 2016

    Olivia Morton

    Hi Mike, don’t know if you’re still keeping tabs on this thread! I’ve been using UE700s for years and they have finally died. I’ve absolutely loved them and was wondering whether you could suggest something currently on the market with a similar sound (and hopefully a similar price – mine cost £160 new)? I predominantly listen to classical music – I’m a cellist – so ideally looking for a fairly balanced sound with clear and sparkly (but also warm – does this exist?!) mids and treble. Definitely not interested in accentuated bass!
    Thanks, Olivia

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