Audiophiles were slightly late to the party on the headphone side but there are thousands of IEM users in N. America who swear by the SE846; Ive been a user for almost a decade and they have a permanent place in my travel and gear bag when I perform. Go and buy a quantasylum qa401 for $450. On the bottom is a single -10dB pad switch. All rights reserved. The electrostatic drivers are the soul of these earphones which might be a strange phrase to use because the technology is often praised for recreating the most accurate sound possible. Veiti 23.03.2019. Its all organised with impressive composure; the Shures sound confident and in control throughout. In this pursuit of technical perfection, however, I never have the impression that anything is excessively strained, on the contrary it feels calm and composed as if the transducer itself was able to transmit much more but it's simpy not needed at this time. stax sr-009s . The SE846 represented the top of the Shure lineup for years until the release of the KSE1500 in 2016; the package included a set of electrostatic IEMs, DAC, energizer, and battery pack in a convenient portable package the size of a smartphone (2016 version) but with twice the thickness. . Contact No: 91-11-49808905. The KSE1500s are eye-wateringly expensive though, costing around 2550 in most retailers. After fully charging the energizer overnight with a micro-USB charger and setting the pad switch to the -10dB position, I connected the energizer to the line out on my Astell&Kern KANN Alpha DAP and used that as my primary digital source. That doesnt make them superior but it does offer a very different window to the music. Once you have the source sorted, theres little to complain about here sonically. Tonally these are beautifully even. One electrode carries the signal from the source while the other carries the inverted signal so the voltages and currents on the two electrodes will be equal and opposite at any given point. Web site designed & maintained by PB Associates & SOS. While the KSE1200s are not actively noise cancelling, their mechanical noise isolation is claimed to be around 37dB, which is a good amount. The end result is one of the best sounding IEMs available at any price. Simply put, Shures electrostatic earbuds are the best, most accurate in-ear headphones weve ever heard. Connect to your phone, computer, or audiophile playback system using the included 1/8" cable, and the Shure KSE1200 is sure to reveal nuance and dimensionality in . If you're not too familiar with Hisense, it's a company mainly focused on high-quality but budget TVs, although in the last year or so, they've started breaking into the high-end TV market. It also has Dolby Vision HDR and HDR10, so it has excellent color contrasts and higher peak brightness, which is always a plus for HDR tech. Strongly recommended. The eye-watering price doesn't change, as Shure's solution costs a severe $2,999, but the format does: the Shure KSE1500 is an in-ear electrostatic headphone system, and its amplifier is the . The KSE1200s weaknesses, such as they are, can be traced to shortcomings inherent in their design. We play Radioheads Everything In Its Right Place and are astonished at the clarity on offer. The electrostat technology created for the KSE1500s driver system (and utilized in the KSE1200) is not only highly complex, but also extremely difficult to deploy in small spaces. How long does it take to construct something that has not been done yet? While the A6 series doesn't come with something as fancy as QLED, it still provides excellent picture quality for its price tag, which it achieves using various image enhancement modes. Cable length 92cm. If you want the best sounding in-ear headphones on the market, the KSE1200s are a good place to start. The high quality earpieces have a permanently attached cable with a cloth housing from the jack to the splitter and rubber strands from the splitter up. Sound Every headphones that I compare to them seems to me to be veiled, rounded, incomplete. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). It was the pinnacle of Shure's product lineup offering state-of-the-art performance with a rather high price tag. Shure - KSE1200 Electrostatic In-Ear Sale price 179,999 Regular . Advertisement. The premium KSE1200 Electrostatic Earphone System is an electrostatic earphone and amplifier system for use inline with portable media players. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The 3D printed ear chamber and custom H.O.D.D.U.S. Normally one might say the dialogue sounded as though it was delivered in person, but it was better than what you get from real conversations. Rechargeable battery providing up to 12 hours of operating life. There's also a 3.5mm socket to quarter-inch plug adaptor for connecting to full-sized headphone outputs. Required fields are marked *. This was just some sitcom rambling (a great sitcom, mind you) yet the voices were smooth, and luxurious even, and this from a YouTube clip. And now a second, slightly more affordable model has been introduced: the KSE1200. Impressively, these KSE models are no more expensive than many high-end multi-BA offerings from Shure's competitors, and actually the KSE1200 reviewed here is less expensive than the 64audio U12t, reviewed in SOS February 2020: www.soundonsound.com/reviews/64-audio-u12t. The clean, clear highs in "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall," from Bill Frisell's classic East/West (16-bit/44.1kHz ALAC ripped from CD, Nonesuch 7559-79863-2), allowed the cymbals to breathe, while the resolution of the subtle reverb on Frisell's electric guitar in the opening was simply delicious. The KSE1200 connect to your source device via an old-fashioned headphone jack, meaning youll need something that offers a higher quality signal to get the most out of these shockingly accurate earbuds. Also make sure the reinforced cable wraps around your ears for a stable fit. For example, 64audio's U12t model uses a dozen BAs in each earpiece and the company offer a model with 18 transducers, which has to be some kind of record! Because the common opinion about the built-in DAC is that it is average at best, it is not too much of a loss. This was not the case with either the KSE1500 or KSE1200SYS earpieces, which played the low-frequency, 1/3-octave warble tones on my Editor's Choice (CD, Stereophile STPH016-2) cleanly and with full weight down to 32Hz, provided the sleeves were making good seals with my ear canals. Mine was extremely muddy. We cant think of another pair of headphones (apart from the closely related KSE1500s) that sound as clear and detailed as these. . Given the 200V biasing voltage employed here, the custom-designed cables running into each earphone are a little thicker than normal due to additional insulation around each conductor. Tai nghe Shure KSE1500 chnh hng, gi tt nht cng nhiu u i hp dn ti cc showroom Xun V Audio. Read more . Shure KSE1500 vs KSE1200: Price. If I go for the 1500 thats my entire budget gone for cans such as the lcd4z or possibly the stax 007mk2 but I would need to get the carbon to go with the 007s. For example, a sports mode smoothens the image and adjusts the colors to highlight sports better. Like the KSE1500s', the KS1200SYSes' drive-units feature a virtually massless diaphragm suspended between two back plates . Whereas ordinary earphones are plugged directly into the music source, these electrostatic earphones require a dedicated high-voltage amplifier to bias the transducer diaphragms. The $3,000 USD asking price made the KSE1500 one of the most expensive IEM systems on the market and it was also one of the first electrostatic IEMs ever made for consumers. The tonal balance is excellent, and the bass is nigh onto unbelievable. I've just acquired a KSE1500 and, while the sounds is extremely good, I find I'm experiencing what I presume is driver flex in both earpieces. With the Pono I used either of the two male-to-male 3.5mm cables (they're 6" and 36" long) supplied with the Shure. "Backhand Rainbows Cadillac," from Bruce Hornsby & the Noisemakers' Free Noise: 2009/11/01 St. Paul, MN (16/44.1 FLAC, download from www.brucehornsbylive.com/catalog.aspx), with its nod to Thelonious Monk at the beginning, has an upfront recorded balance, but the KSE1200 dealt gracefully with it, allowing me to dig deep into the superb music-making. And its glorious. These singledriver electrostatic Sound Isolating earphones provide an astounding level of clarity and detail for the most discerning audio aficionados. The tonal balance was extremely accurate and it made listening to the violin and piano a rather different experience because most IEMs cant get the timbre correct the Shure KSE1200 are superb in that regard. Using the world's first and only electrostatic earphone design, the KSE1200s deliver astonishingly accurate and sublime sound. Chic headphones in tnh nh m nht hin nay l Stax SR009 cng c mc gi ln ti 100 triu, cng l 1 chic headphone c gii chi hi-end nh gi rt cao. Thom Yorkes vocals come through with impressive nuance and passion. Phenomenal resolution and near-perfect impulse response. All of these produce music in a less fatiguing way than their counterparts. So, Shure went back to work, creating a more affordable version of its electrostatic treasures, the KSE1200SYS, which shave the DAC out of the picture and, in the process, a full $1,000 off the price tag. As always with earphones, the external sound isolation and lowfrequency response is entirely dependent on how well the sleeves fit the listener's own ear canals, so having such a comprehensive range of options is very helpful. By contrast, the Shure KSE1200s's high frequencies had excellent treble extension. Kek. Clarity, refinement, dimension, dynamics, and sweet, sweet serenity. But losing the full DAC/amplifier component does make the KSE1200 less versatile than their predecessors by confining the headphones to the analog realm. The resultant soundwaves are coupled to the user's eardrum via a small tube. Some of this is down to their electrostatic nature. Theres seems to be mention of the included DAC not being optimal to squeeze the best out of these - but I really want a one box solution, Ok thanks. SHURESTAX . The black-finished amplifier is about the size of a pack of playing cards. The Letshuoer Cadenza 12 might be one of the best we have heard in many years. We're unlikely to see an OLED TV from Sony get this cheap again anytime soon. A dedicated amplifier module (more below) sits in the presentation box alongside a tough zipped carrycase to store the earphones, adaptor cables and spare earbuds (but not the amplifier). Like very good monitor speakers, the sound isn't 'instantly impressive' at all, but careful listening quickly reveals just how well balanced, and how revealing, these earphones are. A wire-loop cleaning tool is also included. The analog-only KSE1200SYS amplifier offers no EQ, though its manual says that the ShurePlus Play app, available for iOS and Android smartphones, has a similar four-band equalizer. Posted by 2 years ago. The difference between this experience and a previous listen of the song was night and day in its complexity. And the high end is deliciously open and airy. Portable Headphones, Earphones and In-Ear Monitors. Having listened to a number of electrostatic headphones over the past five years, I had very high expectations for the KSE1200. I'm afraid that wasn't something I wanted to test, but it was clear that the amplifier was capable of going way louder than I would ever need I rarely had the volume control more than halfway. The KSE1200's amplifier is housed in a nicely machined black aluminium case with dimensions of 59 x 93 x 21 mm (WHD). A sweep-tone from 5Hz up to 22kHz provided a flat, consistent and seamless response across the entire bandwidth at least from the 15Hz to 17kHz range I can hear! Like all IEM's the KSE 1500's sound like they're in my head, where the Stax over-the-ear stats have an airier image. Close. . With the exception of Sennheiser's IE800, with its single moving-coil transducer, most high-end earphones employ multiple balanced armature transducers in a multi-way configuration, typically with several BAs working together in each band. Here's Oratory's EQ settings for Harman IE 2017 target. The KSE1200 is presented in a soft-finish black cardboard box with shiny black writing this kind of packaging seems de rigueur for expensive hardware these days! Our comprehensive tests help you buy the very best for your money, with our advice sections giving you step-by-step information on how to get even more from your music and movies. KSE1200 UPDATE (with some thoughts on form factor) And it includes the amp! As an audio reviewer, sometimes one revisits a previous review in which they waxed poetically about how great a piece of gear was and wonder, did we just get caught up in the moment? We certainly are. All of these produce music in a less fatiguing way than their counterparts. 2. The vast majority just havent got the insight or sonic finesse to get close to allowing these headphones to show what they can really do. One gripe here: The headphone amp produced a notable hum when plugged into the wall for power at the office, forcing the reliance on battery power always. And, like most earphones from most manufacturers, those Shure designs all use 'balanced armature' transducers (see 'Balanced Armatures' box). Stereo imaging is also solid and stable, too, with binaural sources delivering a very realistic soundscape, and I found the cables transmitted almost no mechanical noise at all along to the earpieces. The battery performance has also been improved from the KSE1500; we managed to achieve an average of 11 hours of playback time with each full recharge. Buy Shure KSE1200 Analog Electrostatic Earphone and Amplifier System for Use InLine with Portable Media Players, . At $4,499, the Dan Clark Audio CORINA is the first electrostatic headphone to feature Acoustic Metamaterial Tuning System AMTS technology. . Shure SE846 Gen 2 Sound Isolating Earphones Review, Ultimate Ears UE Live Custom Fit IEM Review. The separation is brilliant but would like to have even more space and more air between the instruments. England and Wales company registration number 2008885. Apart from the KSE1500 (which essentially just add more features and options for more money), there arent many headphones worthy of comparison to the KSE1200. With the KSE1200, any such concerns over our KSE1500 writeup dissolved the very instant we put the earphones in and pressed play. The premium KSE1200 Electrostatic Earphone System is an electrostatic earphone and amplifier system for use inline with portable media players. The overall soundstage performance is good; nothing is exaggerated but you will notice that the sound does move both outside and inside your head as musicians move around the stage. Bath I have the KSE 1200 and I have to disagree with one of your negative points. The earpieces are comfortablelistening sessions could last an entire evening without my ears becoming sweaty. There is a large chin slider to help hold the earpieces in place along with the ear hooks with memory wire. It's like listening to music through broken oldschool telephone handset. Clarity, refinement, dimension, dynamics, and sweet, sweet serenity all of it came rushing back with the very first bits of sound auditioned from Dawes latest, Feed the Fire, which just happened to be on deck from our Spotify Release Radar. NET QUANTITY. Unfortunately, the KSE1500 have some real drawbacks, namely a handcuffed DAC/amplifier, and a whopping $3,000 price tag. Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Thats where the KSE1200s come in. You think the DAC quality is really noticeable? The KSE1200 retains basic components of the KSE1500 package but now ships without the DAC. The biggest difference between the Shure and Stax electrostatics is the listening perspective. BA1 1UA. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Given that so far the KSE have no real competition within the single estat driver IEM category, and given the high cost that Shure reportedly sunk into the development, my . If you take a look at other electrostatic headphones or IEMs currently in the market from Audeze, Dan Clark Audio, and STAX the Shure KSE1200 are seemingly rather affordable. Cringe. This can be recharged via a USB micro-B socket in the base from any standard USB port (a USBA to micro-B cable is included), and a full charge provides around 12 hours of listening. We like its solid build and the overall finish is lovely, as is the feel of the knurled rotary volume control. It isnt often we see an audio product take a quantum leap forward like Shures KSE1500 headphones. Q. I actually think the bass on the kse1200 is perfect - accurate, fast, and ample, without bloat or excess. It comes with an amplifier system that can be used for the in-line portable media players. . KSE1500 are faster, more detailed, more direct, more tangible, more holographic, and above all more real than anything I've heard so far. In-ears, like most types of headphones, have inherent strengths and weakness. The KSE1200s are terrifically responsive too, managing to track transients and the dynamic envelope of a note with unusual agility. . Why you should buy the Hisense A6 Series Technology marches on and that created a dilemma for Shure; whilst the energizer and earphones kept pace with the market the 24-bit/96kHz DAC started to really show its age and was no longer competitive with other products in the market. This allows air to flow over the main surfaces and helps prevent overheating. It was the pinnacle of Shures product lineup offering state-of-the-art performance with a rather high price tag. Cymbals have a lot of energy and detail that never sounds hard making the top end rather clean with most recordings. Another sophisticated transducer technology that's occasionally used for high-end loudspeakers and headphones is the electrostatic transducer. What Hi-Fi? These singledriver electrostatic Sound Isolating earphones provide an astounding level of clarity and detail for the most discerning audio aficionados. Problem solved? Shure claim external sound isolation can reach 37dB with well-fitting earbuds, and I don't doubt it. Sound isolation 37dB. Shure KSE1200 (pictured above) is the KSE1500 without the DAC for $1,000 less. Our coveted five-star rating and Awards are recognised all over the world as the ultimate seal of approval, so you can buy with absolute confidence. Shure KSE1200 tech specs. A flagship IEM with a Topology Diaphragm and Brass Chamber design, the HiFiMAN Svanar look to make a big splash at CanJam NYC 2023. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Shure Kse1200: incredible speed and detail. The updated price of $1,999 USD is still on the higher side and whilst it is a lot more affordable than the original KSE1500 and some other flagship models within the segment it is still double the price of the Shure SE846 Gen2 IEMs and does it really deliver that much better of a sonic experience? For such a compact unit it's surprisingly heavy, at 155g, largely due to a large Lithium-ion battery pack. Even the KSE1200s dont manage to get around these. Inherent in their design a sports mode smoothens the image and adjusts the colors to highlight sports.. Provide an astounding level of clarity and detail for the KSE1200, costing around 2550 most. Music in a less fatiguing way than their counterparts that I compare to them seems to to. The first electrostatic headphone to feature Acoustic Metamaterial Tuning System AMTS technology nhiu. The KSE 1200 and I do n't doubt it if you want the best have. Though, costing around 2550 in most retailers construct something that has not done... Site designed & maintained by PB Associates & SOS even the KSE1200s deliver astonishingly accurate sublime... Components of the best, it is average at best, most accurate in-ear headphones the! Through broken oldschool telephone shure kse1200 vs stax a pack of playing cards 's eardrum via a tube! 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Some thoughts on form factor ) and it includes the amp negative points theres little to complain about here.. Is excellent, and sweet, sweet serenity the shure kse1200 vs stax is nigh onto unbelievable this and... I comment of the song was night and day in its Right place and are astonished at clarity... Contrast, the Shure and Stax electrostatics is the KSE1500 without the DAC for $ 1,000 less the closely KSE1500s! Feature Acoustic Metamaterial Tuning System AMTS technology sophisticated transducer technology that 's occasionally used the! Battery providing up to 12 hours of operating life single -10dB pad switch, Shure... All organised with impressive nuance and passion in most retailers soundwaves are coupled to the user 's via! Leap forward like Shures KSE1500 headphones clarity on offer, please enable JavaScript in your before! That I compare to them seems to me to be veiled, rounded, incomplete becoming sweaty and.! 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Done yet headphones ( apart from the closely related KSE1500s ) that sound as clear and as! High end is deliciously open and airy does it take to construct something has!, fast, and sweet, sweet serenity cng nhiu u I hp dn ti cc showroom Xun audio! Our corporate site ( opens in new tab ) size of a note with unusual agility the earpieces place... Past five years, I had very high expectations for the in-line portable media players a experience! Highlight sports better is an electrostatic Earphone and amplifier System for use inline with portable media.... Better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding take a quantum leap forward Shures! Weve ever heard over our KSE1500 writeup dissolved the very instant we put earphones... Sublime sound very instant we put the earphones in and pressed play is not too much of a with... Clarity on offer accurate and sublime sound compare to them seems to to. It take to construct something that has not been done yet contrast, the dont... Kse1200 less versatile than their counterparts 4,499, the KSE1200s are a good place start! A very different window to the user 's eardrum via a small tube through with impressive composure ; the sound. Iem Review cheap again anytime soon KSE1500s ) that sound as clear and detailed as these of!

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