Howdy. Long time lurker, first time poster. #403 here.
Just got my Eris a few hours ago. After reading some of the QC posts, I was clenching pretty hard when I opened them and listened for the first time, but thankfully mine seem to have none of the issues mentioned.
I mainly wanted to post so I could offer a suggestion to those struggling with a bit of sibilance, but donāt like the reversed sound. I had a couple of Geekria tuning discs lying around that Iād originally purchased for my carās aftermarket dash tweeters. Hadnāt got around to putting them in yet, so thought Iād try them on these (guess Iāll be ordering another set). They fit perfectly beneath the pads, and clear the sibilance up like they were custom made for these headphones. Yeah, youāll lose some ādetailā, but if you prefer bassy AND a bit dark, theyāre like $9 and worth a shot.
Also, in case anyone else out there owns (or youāre considering owning) the Signature X, another bass beast headphone, and want to know how they compareā¦ quite favorably, actually. Those were my favorite headphones for fun bassy listening. Lofi beats while Iām writing, phonk, synthwave, etc. The Signature X is bit bassier, and feels like it has slightly better slam. The sound signature is a lot darker. Even with the Geekria tuning foam, the Eris is brighter, but thatās not necessarily a bad thing. The Eris feels more balanced to me by comparison, and better with a more diverse library than the Signature X.
Where the Eris clobbers the Signature X is in build and comfort. QC concerns aside (Signature X has had some reported problems too), just based on evaluating my own units, the Eris feels significantly better built. The pads are nice and cool, and you wonāt be dripping sweat from your cheeks like you would with those giant (albeit very comfortable) pleather Signature X pads. The Signature X creaks like crazy any time you try to put them on or move them. The Eris is the most comfortable pair of headphones I ownā¦ and Iāve owned a few of the āworldās most comfortableā headphones. The HD490 Pro comes to mind, and also Rodeās super comfortable NTH100 for studio work. The Eris is more comfortable than either of those, and it isnāt even close. You could wear these the entire day. You could fall asleep wearing them. Itās unreal. That alone is worthy of immense praise. Iām an author and have headphones (or IEMs) on my head basically the entire day. The value of fit and comfort cannot be overstated.
Still comparing to the Signature X, and this is just a personal preference, but the Eris barely isolates at all. HUGE plus for me, being that Iām always listening to music as I work and need to be able to hear if someoneās shouting for me, knocking on my door, my phone is ringing, etc. I also hate taking my headphones off constantly to have frequent, brief conversations. Iād rather pause my music, chat, then get back to work. These allow me to do that. Theyāre very nearly open backs when it comes to isolation. No problems having a conversation with them on.
Overall, very happy with them. I have several nice ZMF pads that would fit them I might eventually try, but then again maybe notā¦ the stock pads are damn near perfect already and the color matches the headband. Not feeling motivated to change them.
Z was the first reviewer I ever watched after deciding I needed better headphones several years ago. It all started with the M40X, and here we are. Well done!