IEM for a stupidly small amount of money

Sure, at the moment receiving my tfz S5, the first impression that it sound like bull..hit, i really want to throw it away. Fortunately, the more we use it, the better it change, let see how it sound later. Mine today get a bit refine in treble, more detail, still burning it. I try many tip with it but the original sound better than the comply tip, unfortunately, i really like the comply tips. My new Lotoo Paw 5000 sound much more detail and musical when partnering with the s5 more than the AK JR

 

Only done the piercing mod but these are top tier for sure. Haven't listed my Andro's yet but Mr. Wayouttasync is not way outtasync on this deal.

 

Hmm if had it burning in for a day or so and the bass is still pretty overwhelming.

Is the mod a matter of poking a hole in the pinhole that is next to the nozzle you attach the eartips with a needle?

 

So after a week of listening the S5 unmodded, I do feel a slight noticeable difference in sound. The treble seems to have subdued a bit, and overall the IEM sounds less bassy. However curiosity got the better of me, so I manned up, took a needle and popped those vents seppuku-style. After listening to a few songs post-mod, I thought to myself, why didn't I do this earlier?

In a way, the changes and improvements brought by the seppuku mod is similar to the grill and coin mod I've done on my HD650. The S5 now sounds even less bassy (it is still somewhat a basshead IEM even after the mod, but more tight and controlled), but the most apparent change is that a layer of two of veil has been lifted in the sound barrier. It becomes more open, transparent, but without being more treble hot or fatiguing. My impressions may change over time with more burn-in, but as of now, I'm glad that the mod turned out well.

Like the others before me, I highly recommend this mod to any S5 owner. But then again, considering how Sorrodje's S5 ended up after the mod, there are definitely risks. I almost didn't do the mod after reading what happened to Sorrodje's S5, so I was extra careful when popping those vents. I guess I was lucky I didn't push to far. In the end though, I'd say it was a risk worth taking.

 

Had these burn in about 72 hrs straight and did the mod with a plastic toothpick (not sure if it punctured anything but seemed to have done the trick). They sound so much better now, the bass got tighter and not completely overwhelming anymore. I'm really digging these. especially for hiphop and edm. With that said, a/b with andromeda, it just doesn't have the clarity/musicality/sparkle that andromeda has. I still don't think they are in the same class, but for the price these are great, fantastic if the durability is good.

 

If you decide to try the harakiri mod, be careful not to use too thick a needle or to be too bold when piercing the hole. The vent has a kind of membrane on the inner side of the shell, directly above the diaphragm.
See...


If you poke too deeply or boldly, you may a) pierce the diaphragm or b) lift the membrane from the shell. Both has to be avoided. My advice is to use a very thin needle and not poke too deeply.
I pierced one set too boldly and the bass was gone. Had to open the shell and glue the membrane to the shell wall again because one side of the membrane had come loose. You do not want to do this, it's a real PITA.

 

Tried the vent piercing mod and removing the mesh behind the grill, but the bass is still too bloated/slow. Maybe more burn-in time is needed...

 

Got my pair of the Series 5 in.
Effin' bass galore. The bass feels a bit sloppy as well, yet at the same time fast. Can't tell if some in-coherence is going on or is it just too f'ing much bass hitting DR limits on my nerve endings.

Despite the retarded level of bass these have they are resolving. Rocking on my EC2A3 right now. These out resolve my MSR-7 in most parts. Macro dynamics are very good, meaning slam is great, rather fluid and smooth as well.
Apart from bass they are similar to HD650 tonally. Yeah, not really! A bit dark, but air is there. Nothing troublesome in highs at all. Headroom size is outstanding for in-ear, easily overtaking my closed full sized cans in this regard. In this regard maybe similar to IE8, that's from memory though.

First harakiri poke took away 2 dB of bass, still like 8dB too much. I guess I was too gentle.
Let's see what burn in does. Will report back.

edit: Poked the hole slightly larger, now these have around 3-4 dB excessive bass boost, still too much but I can live with it.

 

Quotes from emails I sent to friends on the Series 5. Thought I'd cross-post this here, as some might find it helpful...

"Finally got the TFZ 5 in. Agreed on plodding stock bass. 7k icicle is there, but not overly bothersome for me. Apart from that, they're smooooth.

However, what a bad acoustic choice to include tips with smaller bore than the nozzle! Exaggerates bass even more and kills air on top! Slapped wide bore TF10 tips on and applied the FX850 front mod (silicone stripes, reversible). Now they sound like different IEMs, still slightly warm and bassy, but with much better balance and more air. No need for harakiri or filter mod imo...

I think I already like them better than the RE00. Don't think they can touch the 02's for me, but that's only after 30 minutes. In any case, nice find, though the stock configuration doesn't do them justice in my book."

"If you do it correctly, there's no technical reason why an air duct underneath the tips wouldn't have the same effect as poking the front vent membrane. But using wide bore tips instead of stock is equally important in my book. The resulting bass on my pair seems hardly stronger than the fibass's or pinnacle's, and I can very well live with that.

I'd be the first to rip out stock filters when necessary (;-), but right now I feel they have enough air and top extension with TF10 tips."

"Well, compared to the Fostex it's not only much higher bass amplitude, but also slower decay. The Fostex' bass is simply freaking fast for a DD. Poking the vent or doing the front mod on the 5s lowers bass amplitude, but it doesn't make them any faster (in theory even slower, but I doubt the difference is noticeable).

On the plus side, that lends a lot of depth to the TFZ 5's stage, whereas the super-tight Fostex sound more upfront. Still, I think the 5s will end up as my commuting rather than home phones, since I prefer a more neutral and analytical signature in quiet surroundings."

 

Good call on the tips James. A bit less sub bass with some Samsung tips.
Did that front venting mod next, that took maybe another 2 dB down, but this time some mid-bass too, which is excellent.
These are now fun dirty sidekick to my MSR7-s.

 

Thank you very much for the tip. What a relief to hear that harakiri and filter mod are not really necessary but simple front mod will do the trick.
Care to share what 02' iem that you are referring to?

 

He means either the (discontinued) TE-02WP or its replacement the TE-02n.

 

The TE-02n. There's a thread about them in the IEM measurements section.

 

Thank you very much for further info. I checked on Amazon and surprised to see that this is waterproof IEM. I have a few waterproof IEM for Gym use and all of them has excessive bass and lack of clarity. It is okay for gym use but not normal music listening time. I guess that stock of this IEM is not good sound but it will shine once your suggested Mod on it. Is this correct?

 

Nope, surprisingly the TE-02n stock sound is already extremely clear and analytical, even though it's being marketed for sports use. My modding attempts are just aimed at making treble a little smoother and bass a smidgen fuller sounding. Think of it as fine tuning rather than a significant change of signature.

Ironically, the TFZ 5's stock sound is much closer to what one would expect from sports IEMs.

 

Thank you very much for clarification.... I will definitely check out TE-02n.