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Author Topic: thinksound ms01 inears  (Read 8833 times)

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Offline raymonda

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thinksound ms01 inears
« on: September 04, 2014, 06:04:36 PM »
I just picked up pair for portable use and in the field.i got them cheap off ebay.....very slightly used......for 60 bills. Quick listen reveals that these are a great value even at the normal 99 bills. As with all inears.....If they are not set properly the will sound lean......but sealed properly the bass is fine and decently defined.

I'll get to know them better overly the next few days and give a better impression. For now, put them on your short list for consideration and a listen.

Offline raymonda

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Re: thinksound ms01 inears
« Reply #1 on: September 04, 2014, 11:10:04 PM »
Ok........so only few hours have passed since busting them out. However,  I've listened to a few great recordings with them and through two different playback systems. Again......as those that have used iem know.....you can get very different presentation from them depending how you seat them in your ear. These need a good seal to be well balanced. That being said....they have good bass response.....even deep......hitting some pretty deep notes with power and definition.......as well as sounding even and accurate. The high end is slight on the side of dry.... it does not strain your ears with over bearing harshness. However, it is also not silky smooth either. They are extended and balanced but lacking a bit in what planars and stats offer. There appears to be a bit of boost at around 2000k.....which creates an upfront vocal presentation. If it was cut back around 1.5 to 2 db at this frequency they would sound smoother, less aggressive and more to my liking. This peak can give some instruments and vocals a slightly shouty, horn quality. Not terribly so, but slight, none the less. Outside of this, they sound vivid, sharp and lively.....with a bottom that is taught and accurate.  Overall resolution is also very good.

I'm listening to them through my highly modified gta se40 and it tames some of the upper midrange bite. For a long time I was a fan of Grado ' s RS2 headphones. Ultimately, however, they did not offer the bass response I needed and I passed them on. New they went for 495. I sold them for around 275 used and they moved fast. These maybe a bit rougher in the mids than the Grado's but dig much deeper and I'm not talking bloated Beats deep, but rather clean, fast, articulate and with impact. These should appeal to Grado fans that desire real bass at a much lower cost. The rest of what they offer ain't too shabby either and fare nicely when compared to the more pricey headphone competition.

Bottom line is that for what paid for them they were a steal and for what they sell for new they are a serious deal. The other day I was at a hi fi store trying some other headphones that were in and above this price range. These easily beat them out and they certainly sound better than most of the mass market brands available at best buy department stores. I recommend these  highly. They offer a lot for very little and much more than what others in and above their price range offer.
« Last Edit: September 05, 2014, 09:19:05 AM by raymonda »

Offline carlbeck

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Re: thinksound ms01 inears
« Reply #2 on: September 05, 2014, 11:14:54 PM »
Wow, that's great that you think so highly of them, the designer, owner, chief cook & bottle washer is a close friend of mine. He worked his butt off to build this company & still does everything at this small locally owned company in NH everyday. His products sound great & he puts a lot of time & effort into every aspect of them from the voicing to the wood concept including a total green philosophy that uses recycled products for the packaging. His customer service is second to none & he stands behind the product. If you want to hear his on ears drop me a line, my wife & I bought each other a pair unknowingly for Christmas.
I know you like, tape for people's approval and stuff, and wave your tapes around like they're your dick...  but even you can't actually think section tapes from philips sound good.  



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Offline raymonda

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Re: thinksound ms01 inears
« Reply #3 on: September 06, 2014, 06:12:15 AM »
I'm really, really, enjoying these. I brought them to work with me and listened to them off my computer using an inexpensive battery powered hp amp I bought and slightly modified.  I was listening to a recording of the Hen House Prowlers I recorded and mixed off of archive.org and it sounded very good. I've also been bringing them to bed with me at night and listening to files. Everything I've thrown at these phones have been answered.

Right now I'm listen to a 24/96 vinyl transfer I did of Dylan ' s "Infidels". The snare comes through with very good snap and impact, with the rest of the recording sounding timbrally correct. Yes, as I stated before, they do have a slight voice of their own e.g. the slight upper midrange boost but it is not a "mole on the face" but rather is there to provide a bit of presence and is easy forgotten after listening for 45 seconds. I would also like the high end to have a bit more shimmer and finesse but what is there is totally acceptable. It is rather what it doesn't have that I'm critical of e.g. sin of omission is always better than screwing up what is there.

Pass the word to your friend that he really hit this one out of the park in terms of sound and value.  Creating a product like this provides the opportunity for younger ears to understand why sound matters. These are champagne on a beer budget. Well, at least a great sparkling wine!
« Last Edit: September 06, 2014, 07:26:59 AM by raymonda »

Offline carlbeck

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Re: thinksound ms01 inears
« Reply #4 on: September 06, 2014, 07:02:09 AM »
I'll be sure to pass your thoughts on, thank you. I agree with you on the value of the product, he realizes that while it's a very crowded market & there is a certain price point that needs to be met to stay competitive but they still have to sound "good". It never ceases to amaze me when I see consumer accolades (as well as some supposed professional reviewers) for Beats & similar products, those products are more flash than substance in my opinion with a high percentage of their cost used for marketing vs actual sound quality. Think Sound continues to receive high marks when reviewed by Stereophile & similar "high end" or "audiophile" publications without spending the typical required advertisement dollars, another interesting thing to note is the endorsements the product receives from professionals in the music industry from all over. The point is just as you stated, they are introducing great sound at a reasonable price point to the typical consumer who may not understand why sound matters & that's a win in my book.
I know you like, tape for people's approval and stuff, and wave your tapes around like they're your dick...  but even you can't actually think section tapes from philips sound good.  



Mics: Telefunken Elam 260, 61, 62, MBHO KA200, KA500 > Niant PFA's, AKG C34L-MS
Preamps: Grace Lunatec V2, Shure FP24
Decks: Tascam DR-2d, Zoom F8

Old rig: Recording: AKG C34 & AKG CK1X or CK2X > MK46 > 460 > Aeta Mix2000 > Sound Devices 702

Playback: Thorens TD125, Denon DVD-2900> Bel Canto DAC-1 > Audible Illusions 3B > Rogue Atlas >ZU Wax Shotgun> Hyperion 938
ALL TUBES BABY!!!

Offline raymonda

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Re: thinksound ms01 inears
« Reply #5 on: September 12, 2014, 11:37:09 PM »
So I bought a sandisk 8 gig player. I will be getting a 16 gig card for it, too. I paired it to a portable headphone amp...which I replaced the op amps in and now I have a really sweet portable system which sound silly good. 60 for the headphones, 20 for the amp and 50 for the player. That is 130 for a really kick ars system. If they had stuff like this when I was a kid........ I remember back in 1983, when I bought a Sony d6. Listening to concerts I recorded through that with the supplied Sony headphones was great. Then in the late 90 ' s when I bought a Sony portable cd, Grado rs2 and Grado ra1...that was a nice system but being open back and having little real low end made isolation a problem...for me outside and my wife in bed. Now this system beats them all and no cd to carry around.....nice....real nice.

At 130 anyone can afford decent, actual better than decent....very good sound. Yes the future looks bright for hifi. This is going to open a lot of doors.

Btw....I bring all my recording down to 16/44....to preserve fidelity....on a wav file. Yes, this will read flac.....which will allow for even more files...but right now I haven't wanted to hassle with another step for maybe a few more gigs.

The thinksound ms01 really respond well to this amp. A nice match for sure. I'm still really liking these phones. Hopefully I can compare them to a few others but for now they are most highly recommended.

Offline Colin Liston

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Re: thinksound ms01 inears
« Reply #6 on: September 13, 2014, 07:50:15 AM »
Which amp did you get?
Occasionally....music mics record

Offline raymonda

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Re: thinksound ms01 inears
« Reply #7 on: September 13, 2014, 11:04:07 AM »
I bought it 2 years ago......it is sold by fanmusic.......I'll take some pictures later and post them. The price has increased since my purchase. I'll try to Li k, too.

Offline Colin Liston

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Re: thinksound ms01 inears
« Reply #8 on: September 14, 2014, 06:54:49 PM »
I am in the market for new headphones after my dog ate my Etymotic HF5's.  Would the thinksound's be good for casual listening?  Mainly just for running.  Or are the thinksound's  more for serious/critical  listening?
Occasionally....music mics record

Offline raymonda

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Re: thinksound ms01 inears
« Reply #9 on: September 14, 2014, 10:04:09 PM »
Both......they sound they are cheap enough......but sound great. They may make you get lost in the music, though. Buy them....you'll thank me later.

Offline raymonda

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Re: thinksound ms01 inears
« Reply #10 on: September 16, 2014, 12:32:27 AM »
Tonight, after work, and when the kids were asleep, I compared the ms01 to my akg 701Q using three different hp amps; Matrix mini I v2, GTA se40/can/opener and for giggles my portable fanmusic. The 701 is a semi open back design that is generally acknowledged to be a nice set of cans and an excellent monitoring system. They do require some juice and are not the most sensitive headphone to drive. They are not crazy difficult but do require power in order to come to life. Both the Matrix and GTA have that, with the GTA rigged as a hp amp having more than needed. The MS01 are of high sensitivity and can run on a whisper. That being said, they can bring to the surface tube amp hum......albeit, generally masked when the music kicks in. The 701 is stone quiet using the GTA. The MS01 sounds great using the fanmusic, with the fanmusic running out of gas when driving the 701. Which, really, wasn't difficult to predict.

Not surprising the GTA drove both pairs the best....offering a more refined and engaging presentation. The Matrix is a bit thinner and more hard sounding but highlighted the high end with both phones....sounding a hair more extended. Believe it or not, the fanmusic gave up very little to the GTA, adding a bit of a misty veil, when driving the MS01.  The fanmusic works well for efficient cans and in this case a good match for the MS01.

Now for my general impressions when comparing both cans. IEM will always present a different soundstage than on ears, with the former generally placing the soundstage within your head, to a degree. It is not necessarily contained only within our head but generally not as wide, with less air than open cans. On ears provided the opportunity to extend the soundstage further outward. IMO, one is not better or worse,  just different, I can enjoy both when listening to good recordings.

That aside, both cans present a timbrally accurate picture. However, no one would mistake one for the other. The MS01 delivery deep and accurate bass. You will never be wondering if you are missing low end and unless your speakers go low or you have a subwoofer,  they will treat your ears to a bottom you may not experience outside of a live concert. The 701 is a bit MIA in comparison and do not provide the impact below 80 hz that a lot of recordings provide. MS01 advantage extends through the upper bass, too, which provides more punch and impact.

The MS01 have a mid-range peak, somewhere around 2200 hz and they present a more upfront picture but which is still nicely balanced. They just slightly highlight instruments and vocals within this range. The 701 is more laid back and may have a slight smiley type response curve. My preference goes to the MS01, which kept me engaged.....where the 701 sounding a bit less interesting.

The lower treble was good with both cans and that is a compliment to the MS01. They shouldn't sound this good for this price. Both cans are extended and you will not miss any high end detail with either. You won't get fatigue by hyped sound either. The 701 being a bit more refined and extended but you will hardly be left wanting more from the MS01. Unless you have ribbons in your open air speakers you most likely will get as good or better reproduction of the high end as you do from your home speakers.

The bottom line is that regardless of the price difference, IMO, the MS01 were preferred over the 701 with the amps and sources I used. That is saying a lot when comparing a hp that cost almost four times as much. If I had to pick between the two I would choose the MS01. Really!

In a few days I'll have a Melos Sha1 and will see if anything changes. I'll also try the Rogue M120 ' s on them when they arrive tomorrow but I'm not really expecting much to change.

Finally, I continue to be mightily impressed by these inexpensive IEM and now without reservation recommend them to others.

« Last Edit: September 16, 2014, 11:42:04 AM by raymonda »

Offline raymonda

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Re: thinksound ms01 inears
« Reply #11 on: September 22, 2014, 05:38:30 PM »
Because I was so impressed with the MS01's I bought a pair of Thinksound's "Rain" for my wife. I was Hoping that they would provide some of the excellence I was receiving from the MS01 in a less expensive (relative) package. My wife liked the sound but in comparison they aren't even close. The Rain sound like every other inexpensive IEM. Over ripe and ill defined low end and rolled off highs. You can EQ them for a better sound, and they take well to that, but they just don't have the resolution of the MS01's. Oh well, two miracles couldn't happen.

For the extra $20-30, don't waste your money on the lesser Thinksounds and go straight for the MS01's, they are really that good.

Offline acidjack

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Re: thinksound ms01 inears
« Reply #12 on: September 23, 2014, 03:19:06 PM »
How would you say the MS01 compare to much more costly IEMs such as Ultimate Ears, Shure, Westone, etc?

I've owned both Westones and currently Shure 535s and have found (ducks) that I end up using the standard iPhone headphones more of late because they are so much easier to put in and the Shures sound extremely brittle and bright to me. The Westones conversely were a touch dark, not to mention they were not durable.

The MS01 is I'm sure way better than the iPhone headphone, while being a similar "easy" form factor. In that same form factor range, have you heard those Beats that are similar in structure? I know the brand's known for its bassy nonsense, but I've only listened to full-sized beats and not their IEM.
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Offline raymonda

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Re: thinksound ms01 inears
« Reply #13 on: September 23, 2014, 05:45:49 PM »
I'm a newbe with IEM.  Outside of a few cheap ones I have put in my ear in the past, these are my first serious venture into these waters. I'm not,  however, anewbe when it comes to over ear headphones.  And, in that regard, these measure up very nicely.

I really bought these for use outdoors but after using them they are staying inside and are now my go to phones of choice.

BTW, these fir into my ears nicely, and with the supplied hooks, stay solidly in place.

Offline MakersMarc

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Re: thinksound ms01 inears
« Reply #14 on: March 04, 2017, 08:45:03 PM »
I've loved my MS01s for about 9 months, but unfortunately something's gone dodgy with the phones at the 1/8 tip. I'm not a solder guy so these are headed back to Thinksound for what I hope is great customer service. They do get used daily but well stored, I expect a bit better for a hundred. But they really do sound great. These are my first non cheapass earbuds and wow, what a difference.
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