Sony EX800ST Loaner Impressions and Final F7200

EX800ST

- I like it better than EX1000. No apparent f**k-ups in the whole FR - a very good first impression.
- Warmer than neutral, bassy touch, but not so emphasized as EX1000.
- Still correct timbre, but the overall resolving capability is one step down from EX1000. Notes have less body than Andromeda, but definitely not lean.
- Somehow it's dirtier than I would have liked. Sony could have added a hair more dynamic explosiveness, swing and sway.
- Not the widest soundstage, but very good imaging and in-your-face intimacy, not offensively so. Have decent depth.
- Layering is peculiar. Obviously destroys budget-minded IEMs, but still not able to touch the big boys. Not enough to sing a verse for it, but still very well-done.
- Biggest problem is that the EX800ST feels grainy obviously sometimes. Fuuuuuck.
- Bass reaches deep, proper oomph. Very minor bleed into mids, seems record-depend. Quantity is north of neutral in a good way. Quality is not up to the EX1000, but can so easily destroy most BA configurations I've heard. There is no dynamic bass shittiness, i.e. slow speed, overly long sustain and decay. Could use some more texture, but I should shut up. When it's called for, the bass does do a fantastic job in the sub-900 category.
- Midrange lacks some snapping. The rendering of string elements lacks texture. Ultimately, vocals feels slightly lacking in body.
- As an isolated case, the EX800ST actually doesn't lack so-called "air". But if you knew proper good airiness, the EX800ST lacks the final touch. I feel it may rolled off in the highs a bit earlier than I preferred.

Other thoughts:
- The EX800ST obviously tailored to late 80s, 90s, and early 2000s Japanese music. You won't feel record have been compressed.
- The EX800ST and EX1000 don't have the best fit and comfort.
- The EX800ST performs as good as a mid-Fi IEM can - I won't say it's a TOTL killer, but if you have it, keep it. It's more worthy keeping than Noble's Savanna, IMO, etc.

Final F7200

- A lean, elegant presentation. Some people will put it as lacking note body, but I can quick adapt to this kind of presentation and feel the note weight are proper. An interesting take actually, not a lot of IEMs lean towards this direction.
- With a careful selection of tips and positioning, this thing has one of the largest soundstage of IEMs, and can probably laugh at quite a few full-sized cans. An epic win here.
- Where the f**k did I find Left and Right designation? Don't the Japanese always ace these details? How could they fail so epic this time?
- Unlike EX800ST, F7200 is unforgiving on bad recordings. Compression is not given mercy.
- Extremely clean and clear, with outstanding element separation. It may correlate to the soundstage presentation - it shows some proper 3Dness. Of course not like Jupiter (let's not talk about Andromeda).
- The speed is relatively slow as a BA configuration, just a touch slower. However, the timbre was on.
- F7200 follows the conventional neutral-bright suit and isn't innovative in this aspect.
- Resolution or plankton performance is surprisingly not bad. The highlight here is the fine layering, but I need to have my Andromedas back and draw a definitive conclusion.
- Bass could have used a bit more quantity and texture. The speed is faster than EX800ST, and the performance is not bad per se. The reach is deep, and the best thing is that no matter how low it reaches, bass always maintain an extremely clean presentation.
- Midrange have a certain sweetness - vocals are borderline not shouty, with plenty of proper airiness. However, bad recordings result in apparent sibilance. Instruments have more texture here.
- Again, borderline fatiguing, but not.

Other thoughts:
- f**k, the foam tips are ridiculously bad fit. Or I'm ridiculously stupid not able to figure out how to fit properly.
- The design and construction puts Sony to shame. This is high praise.
- Cable is very sibilant if not worn over ear, and you have to put ear hooks onto the cable.

 

Great impressions, saw that HeadphoneBar had the Final in stock now and was just wondering what they sounded like. Are the sockets MMCX or Smmcx in the production earphones?

 

I think it's MMCX?

 

Oh just checked there site, it's listed as MMCX now instead of SMMCX. Previously i thought they were using the ultra small connectors like on the klipsch x20i, I wonder if i could try my Linum cables on this.......

 

I'd love to hear more thoughts about your comment.

 

The Savanna follows the kind of strict "reference" tuning. You go up the route and you may find UERM reshell, (to some less extend) Andromeda, and very hopefully Perfect Seal Deca are all in this line and you see Savanna BTFO. Flocks of makers are also shooting for this direction.

On the other hand, you get an EX800st for cheaper than Savanna, and you get a uniquely rich and powerful bass performance only surpassed by its own big brother EX1000. The "fun" signature as far as my experience seems to be a Sony thing... I haven't experienced anything in this line. You let go EX800st and you won't find any replacement or upgrade (maybe only EX1000 depending on if you tolerate the fatigue).

 

As someone who impulse bought the Savanna during the Noble birthday sale and sold them within a week, I agree. The tuning may be what some are looking for but ultimately the presentation is dry, un-engaging and a little cold. I think Ety's ER4SR/XR would be a better choice and more appropriately priced for what they are.

 

Rolled a bunch of tips on EX1000 and have to eat my words. Damn EX1000 is not fatiguing anymore and is better than EX800st.

 

Which tips brought solace?

 

Large Sony hybrids with deep insertion. Oh well.

 

I've always loved the Sony hybrids. Before the Westone star tips came out (another favorite), I used to cut the stalks of Shure tips to insert into Sony hybrids stalks and make a hybrid-sony-hybrid to use with my iems with the narrow bores.

Sony tips are especially appropriate in the case of EX1000 where isolation is kind of shot anyways.

 

Damn IEMs are always such a bitch to fit. I'm probably adding some EX1000 impressions and revise some F7200 impressions.

 

Just got my ex1000's in. Had always wanted a pair and finally decided to buy them in order to send these to Ken Ball as part of a doomed pitch to him to not make a mid-bass bloated dynamic driver iem but instead a detailed monitor with excellent, balanced bass.

 

Will probably import some Ex1000s when i'm in america....Can't find a decent price that ships to Canada.
I really own far too many sony products though.

 

I'm having a wild guess that EX1000 is like the illegitimate son of the legendary R10.

Back to topic, the bass performance on both EX800st and EX1000 are truly amongst the very finest preaentations. Both are probably tuned with late 70s-early 2000s Japanese music and acoustics in mind. Highly engaging, full-bodied, with correct timbre. When I was listening to Kato Kuniko's marimba I almost mistook it's my iPhone ringing...

 

Have any of you tried listening to the Sony XBA-Z5? I think it carries the EX1000/7550/800ST sound signature and moved it up a few notches up into the 'refined analogue sound' territory. Give it a listen.

 

No offense, Z5 I did try to give it a few tries. All ended up feeling overpowered in the bass region (boomy) but EX1000 owns the bass with its micro details.
Overall, different presentation tho. Z5 is darker and EX1000 is not.

 

I owned the Z5 and only lasting for less than a month...no way it can be described as the EX1000 successor...

 

Huge ass midbass emphasis but poor subbass presence with poor bass texture on Z5.