Blitzwolf BW-ES1 (Update: improved mod by tgx78 in post #43)

Discussion in 'IEMs and Portable Gear' started by james444, Aug 26, 2017.

  1. oidua

    oidua New

    Joined:
    Sep 30, 2015
    Likes Received:
    18
    Trophy Points:
    3
    Damn! I dropped my BW-ES1 on the floor and immediately I noticed the sub-bass was gone on the left side. I've tried to clean all air vents but sub-bass still extinct.

    So, I figured out the problem was on the driver and probably lose its seal or alignment. Then I went ahead and opened it, this driver is poorly glued so it's expected the impact would cause that and probably the cause of some user reported no bass at all on his ES-1. As expected the driver wasn't properly placed then I applicate some Bondic UV glue around the driver and set up all parts again.

    Even though I fixed it and the sub-bass is back the bass rumble still a tad stronger on the right side (I'd guess 2-3dB stronger). Definitely, I will buy a new pair. Btw @james444 did you find some IEM good like ES-1 and worth buying?
     
  2. Soups

    Soups Sadomasochistic cat

    Pyrate Contributor
    Joined:
    Dec 26, 2017
    Likes Received:
    1,598
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    WA
  3. Friday

    Friday Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 29, 2015
    Likes Received:
    520
    Trophy Points:
    93
    I shone a bright torch through the nozzle and there is a hole, you should see a small patch of light that is slightly brighter than the rest of the vent area
     
  4. Biodegraded

    Biodegraded Friend

    Pyrate Contributor
    Joined:
    May 28, 2017
    Likes Received:
    7,976
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Vancouver BC
    @jayeshrc , you can also try stabbing around the vent a few times to make sure the hole in the mesh is large enough to reduce bass to your taste. Wrap tape around the needle no more than 2mm from the end; and make sure to keep it roughly perpendicular to the outside of the shell (more space between body and driver in that direction). Do note @james444 's warning though - the mesh can be dislodged rather than pierced, which could lead to it flapping around with the bass - so make sure your needle is a sharp one!
     
  5. james444

    james444 Mad IEM modding wizard level 99

    Pyrate Flathead IEMW
    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2016
    Likes Received:
    2,100
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Vienna, Austria
    My apologies for being a bit slow to respond, I'm currently away from home. Yeah, poking the front mesh properly is definitely the hardest part of the mod. Personally, I get the most consistent results by poking sideways as shown in post #1 with a needle that just about fits through the vent. I think, if the needle is too thin, you might end up creating too small a hole or just lifting the mesh insufficiently and not achieve the desired bass attenuation. I have not tried @Biodegraded 's technique, but undoubtedly it should work just as well.

    I very much like my modded Octone Hi-Res and to me they're really upping the ante regarding dynamic driver IEMs. I know that @stratocaster likes them too, and I've posted one of his measurements (vs. the Ety 4SR) in this thread:
    http://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/shotgunshane’s-iem-custom-and-universal-recommendations-favorites-and-classics.2229/page-68#post-191294

    However, at €99 they're quite a bit more expensive than the BW-ES1 and it seems they're only available in the EU. The mod itself is easier than the Blitzwolf's though and it makes them more neutral and transparent than the BW-ES1 to my ears. I plan to post some pics when I'm back home in two weeks or so...
     
  6. JayC

    JayC Resident Crash Test Dummy

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Oct 26, 2015
    Likes Received:
    980
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Eindhoven
    Okay so I didnt see any hole in the mesh when I used a light so i tried the 2mm pin thing for 10 minutes straight and it didnt work. I'm guessing the mesh is dislodged a bit and moves when I try poking it.
    So I got a bit impatient and bent the needle, tried the first method again and felt that I actually poked something. Success! Or so it seemed.. I tried the same thing with the left side and didnt feel the same thing, but assumed it was successful.

    Put them on and the bass is no longer really there on the right and everything is skewed to the left. I guess I poked the driver on the right. Sigh.
     
  7. spoony

    spoony Spooky

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2015
    Likes Received:
    651
    Trophy Points:
    93
    I dislodged both meshes and the bass does indeed disappear. I proceeded to put micropore over the vent and poke an increasingly bigger hole until the bass level was good for me and both channels were matched.
     
  8. Biodegraded

    Biodegraded Friend

    Pyrate Contributor
    Joined:
    May 28, 2017
    Likes Received:
    7,976
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Vancouver BC
    As per @spoony , there's good scope for tuning the bass to taste. Here are measurements of a pair I did for a friend who, on hearing my pair, thought the bass was still too exaggerated. I therefore spent more time with the taped needle poking the front-vent mesh multiple times radially around the hole.

    Stock in blue, Advanced mod in purple (didn't do 444/78 because his favoured tips have narrow apertures), my 444/78 (a different unit, note) in orange. Mine only got a single poke.

    [​IMG]
     
  9. Brause

    Brause Friend

    Pyrate Contributor
    Joined:
    Nov 25, 2016
    Likes Received:
    467
    Trophy Points:
    63
    Location:
    Calgary, AB
    Transpore link:
    https://goo.gl/sxsL5f

    ...but shipping is $8.
     
    Last edited: Mar 17, 2018
  10. JayC

    JayC Resident Crash Test Dummy

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Oct 26, 2015
    Likes Received:
    980
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Eindhoven
    These seem to have undergone a minor change based on the second pair I received to mod for a colleague - the foam inside the nozzles have been eliminated

    To tame the treble a bit, I used some medical gauze folded and rolled up in the nozzle and it worked pretty well. I kinda prefer this to the foam actually!
     
    Last edited: Mar 24, 2018
  11. Priidik

    Priidik MOT: Estelon

    Pyrate BWC
    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2015
    Likes Received:
    2,153
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Estonia
    What is the input voltage level you measured at?
     
  12. Friday

    Friday Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 29, 2015
    Likes Received:
    520
    Trophy Points:
    93
    I tried this and found the upper mids too strident/too energetic for my tastes out of the ZX2. My personal preference is 4mm by 13mm in the sennheiser ear tips, which makes the sorbothane just shy of a full circle and sticks out slightly. Emphasis on my tastes.
     
  13. Dino

    Dino Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Jun 21, 2016
    Likes Received:
    3,332
    Trophy Points:
    113
    BW-ES1 are $10 (new & shipped free to CONUS) on amazon.com, atm.
     
  14. Dino

    Dino Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Jun 21, 2016
    Likes Received:
    3,332
    Trophy Points:
    113
    I can't edit the above, but if I could it would look like this -

    BW-ES1 are $10 (new & shipped free to CONUS*) on amazon.com, atm.

    Edit: *If you are a Prime member or order these as part of an order of $35 or more.
     
  15. Merrick

    Merrick A lidless ear

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Jan 6, 2016
    Likes Received:
    12,568
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Portland, OR
    My love/hate affair with these has ended—in only love!

    I got a new pair when they were $10 (thanks to @Dino for the heads up) and modded them per @tgx78’s instructions. The other big change is I also got Symbio tips a while back, and the combo of the new mods with the new tips make for one incredible IEM.

    All the treble issues I had are gone. Completely gone. The bass is also no longer overwhelming, even though it’s still powerful. Even the fit issues are fixed by the Symbio tips. These are now muscular, tight, and have incredible texture.

    I immediately paired them with my GOV2+ Infinity, which had the best synergy with the first set, and the results were fantastic. Detailed and rich and involving. I need to plug it into the iPhone dongle and see if it can hold its own with less power. If it can, these will replace the Fostex TE-02n as my daily drivers.

    Thanks to everyone who kept plugging away on this to make it even better!
     
  16. DigMe

    DigMe Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Aug 25, 2016
    Likes Received:
    8,802
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Tejas
    Anyone know of any alternate model names these go by in Asia?
     
  17. Friday

    Friday Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Sep 29, 2015
    Likes Received:
    520
    Trophy Points:
    93
    @Merrick what's the length of the sorbothane that you used with Symbio tips?

    @DigMe sorry I live in Asia but ordered mine from ebay
     
  18. james444

    james444 Mad IEM modding wizard level 99

    Pyrate Flathead IEMW
    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2016
    Likes Received:
    2,100
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Vienna, Austria
    @DigMe: the first post contains links to Banggood and AliExpress.
     
  19. Merrick

    Merrick A lidless ear

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Jan 6, 2016
    Likes Received:
    12,568
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Portland, OR
    I didn’t measure it, I just cut it to fit, it fills the whole length of the nozzle.
     
  20. Merrick

    Merrick A lidless ear

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Jan 6, 2016
    Likes Received:
    12,568
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Portland, OR
    Testing with iPhone dongle, it definitely doesn’t have the effortless smoothness and detail of the GO, and there’s a little etching around the upper frequencies, but the overall character of the IEM remains intact. I will now use this as my daily driver and it may threaten my Andros too.
     

Share This Page