Customer Reviews

Sleek Audio SA1 High-Fidelity Siam Rosewood Earphones

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

THIRD UPDATE: 8/12/2010 (the final update)

So they sent me two replacement sets of earphones when my last pair broke. I have now had one earbud on each go out. From what I can tell, they had a quality control issues. See quoted text from an email conversation I had with them:

"Unfortunately we really cant give you an upgrade do to our booing and inventory logs. But i can assure you we have revised the quality control process for the SA1s and this should be your last replacement you need. We are working on a redesign that should be released in 2010 so if you run into issues again we will happily replace it with the new design."

My replacement unit has showed up and the build quality is noticeably tighter. I have run them through a burn in time of 100 hours and the sound quality is superb as well. Knowing that they are moving manufacturing back to the USA, and have tightened up quality control, I no longer have a problem recomending these to anyone. They are simply some of the best dynamic driver (micro driver) in ear monitors you can buy. The user replaceable cable alone sets them apart from others in this price range (IE the Klipsch S4's). And the sound quality is better than anything in its price category. Get a set know. I am moving my rating up to 4 stars based on the improvments that Sleek Audio have made, and the fact that their customer service is outstanding. If you ever do have a problem with these headphones, you won't have to worry about dealing with any shady business to get your issues taken care of. They are prompts and respond to email very quickly.

Personally, my only issue with these is fit, due to the fact that I have pretty small ear canals. I have switched to comply foam tips and that did the trick for me. The bass is still there and I get a nice seal with those tips. I just wish Sleek included them with the headphones. Its a pretty cheap fix though.

SECOND UPDATE: 1/23/2010

Read below, then pop back up to this part...

After receiving both my replacement pairs, the first ones I took out of the package only worked for two days again. This time, when ever I insert the right earphone it has a crack as if the driver is blown, and I know I didn't overdrive them, as I would probably be deaf if I had. I have not even tried the third set and plan on returning them. Shelley in there customer service department has been wonderful to deal with, but these just are not going to work out for me.

I can't seem to get the fit right either. I usually need the smallest ear tips, but with these the small and medium dual flange tips keep coming off inside my ear. More than once I had to pull them out with tweezers. Not fun. The sound, when I was able to use them, was decent for a micro driver, but hearing it back to back with my ultimate ears super.fi 3 studio's it doesn't compare to a well balanced armature. You can pick up a rebranded 3 studio that says altec lansing on it (UHP336) right now for $39 with free shipping, my suggestion is to give those a shot first. They sound better, fit better, and so far have lasted longer for me.

Overall, I have come to the final conclusion that these in ear headphones are just OK. Nothing amazing, and nothing my set of Sennhieser CX-300B's can't do. And for less money, the Ultimate Ears (branded as Altec Lansing) sound better and fit better. They also have a replaceable cord, which is the entire reason I got the SA 1s in the first place. Buy with caution.

REVIEW:

I purchased these and received them in just three days. I pulled them out of the box, along with the optional W1 Kleer Wireless system from Sleek Audio and was surprised to find ZERO printed documentation. I figured it was on their site. I was wrong. I have emailed the company to find out if I can get a manual (not that I need one or headphones, but the W1 wireless system does require some special operations). I have not heard back, but it is the weekend so I will see what happens on Monday.

I used the headphones while the W1 was charging, and after find the ear tips that fit best and putting in the bass tuning ports, I was VERY pleased with the sound that they produced. They sound every bit as good as headphones twice their price. They come with a nice carrying case as well as six different types of ear tips and both treble and bass tuning ports. You should be able to find a combination that fits your ears physically and sonically.

The HUGE problem I ran into however, was on day two. This morning I was doing some cleaning and thought that it would be good to use them while vacuuming to see how well they block out outside noise. I put them in my ear and the left one felt a bit odd. I pulled it out and realized that the metal end had separated from the rosewood body. I assume this is a fluke and that most of the SA1's shipped will not have this problem. But I am still stuck waiting for a replacement. As mentioned above it is the weekend, so I may very well post a follow up later in the week once I have heard back from their customer service.

As far as the W1 wireless unit goes, I will be returning it. The near loss-less audio, that is lag free, sounds super, but the dongle you have to wear around the back of your neck is heavy enough to pull the earphones out of my ears, and it catch the back of my neck when I turn my head which also dislodges one of the earphones. I had planned on using this while cycling on a dedicated path, but not now.

As the title says, the quality of sound both the wireless and the headphones put out is amazing. Well worth more than Sleek is charging. However, the practicality of the wireless unit and the questionable build quality of the headphones is cause to look at the competition.

UPDATE: 1/16/2010

So I am under the impression that my incident was an isolated one, and in dealing with Sleek Audio I have received nothing but the absolute best customer service! I provide customer service for a tech company myself and my dealings with Sleek Audio have been a pleasure. They are prompt to respond and handel issues in a very professional manner. I called the other day to double check on my return shipment headphones and the lady I spoke with was unable to track down a tracking number or shipment information (even though she was pretty sure she had mailed them out the day before.) With no complaining from me, she then decided that she would just two day air me a pair to make sure I got a set. I thanked her and we hung up. About 15 minutes later I had an email confirming the shipping along with a tracking number. About 10 minutes after that I received another email stating that she had indeed mailed the first pair off, but not to worry about it and to keep both. AMAZING! Now don't go expecting them to replace every pair with two sets, but in the instance it was very nice of her to take such good care of me.

Based on my short period of listening to the headphones (then going back to both my cheap ass skull candy in ear headphones, and a low end in ear Sennhieser model) I can say these are WELL WORTH THE MONEY! And if my new set breaks I have no worries that I will quickly and easily be able to get the item replaced. I will update again once I have a little more listening time in. In the mean time I have updated my review to 4 stars as I feel these are excellent headphones, but may have some long term reliability issues. Only time will tell though.

These earbuds are simply amazing. Great build, nice look, and amazing sound. Seriously the best sound I've had for under 100$. I recently had my Sennheiser buds stop working due to the wire failing. These were 20$ cheaper than those and sound much better. Plus you can change the wire out for about 15$ if it ever breaks, not to mention you can purchase the wireless kit and go from wired to wireless with ease. Go for it, you'll love them.

update: well i take it back. After 2-3 weeks of daily commuter use the left ear piece only works intermittently and i've lost 3 different earbuds because they come off so easily. Also one of the speaker screens fell off already. They LOOK nice but they fall apart really easily. Too bad cause i really liked the sound and look. I'll be returning these and looking for something that is more durable. It's like these were designed to be used at home only. I have to drop it from 5 stars to 2 due to a poor quality build and the fact that they stopped working correctly already.

The sound quality is incredible, but the build quality is horrible. Unacceptable for headphones at this price. I've gone through 4 cords in two years, and not because I don't respect the equipment. My most recent cord was used exclusively at my desk, and was kept gently rolled up in its case when not in use. I've lost three cords due to fraying by the jack (and my current cord is starting to fray there), but my most recent cord just gave out around the left earbud plug. Plus, the adjustable earbud tips and earbuds themselves have excess glue. It's too convenient that these headphones come with a replaceable cord, and the cords just happen to have the worst endurance of any headphones I've ever used. I had a lousy pair of $10 Skull Candy earbuds before these, and that cord is still solid as can be.

I'm incredibly disappointed. I want to love these headphones, but I can't recommend them for the simple fact that you'll be buying replacement parts for years to come. Spend your money elsewhere.

- - -

JANUARY 2012 UPDATE

The metal front half of the earbuds - not the top, the entire front half - has detached from the wooden back half. I've resorted to super gluing the two back together for the time being, while I look for a replacement pair of earbuds. Definitely don't buy these.

Really did not know what to expect from these. Was not too happy with the headphones that came with my iPod and knew there were better buds out there. What really drew me to them was the look. It's nice to see someone not use colored plastic...Heck, the fact that they are real wood and metal really make them stand out. Fit and finish are amazing, and so is durability. I was scared to run/workout with them, wasn't sure how excessive moisture would hurt the wood...Not a problem at all.

Fit is great. With different size tips provided, I was able to figure out which fit me best. Like I said, I workout and run with these and have not had a problem with them falling out. I also wear them most of the time at work and really cannot complain about any sort of discomfort. By the way, that was another plus. They also do an excellent job of blocking out sound (E.G. loud coworkers).

Finally, sound. I cannot believe the improvement over the Ipod earbuds!!! Yes, you would expect that from a pair for 80 dollar earbuds. But aside from great, punchy bass, they also have amazing clarity. That was one of the issues I had with my friends Vmodas, great bass...and nothing else....even the treble had bass. I've also heard some other brands, but most were a lot more expensive, or cheaper and lacking quality in every way. I also love the fact that they are adjustable. I can't say I change the tips often, but I loved that I had that sort of control. Really, my only complaint is that they don't have have an even higher treble tip. Yes I'm crazy, but I when I blast my music I want the cymbals tear through my ears.

So to recap:
-Amazing look
-Amazing fit
-Amazing quality
-Adjustable sound

Stuff I forgot to mention:
-Ability to go wireless(!)
-Replaceable wires!

I've had these for about a month and work out with them often, so far I love the sound and fit and haven't had any durability issues. They're the first earbuds that have ever stayed in my ears!

The first set of these I ordered from Amazon had a defective cord, so I sent them back. It took a while for the next set to arrive, but when they did, I was very satisfied with them. They look good, fit in my ears great, and the sound quality is superb. I have been reading other reviews on this product, and am a little worried by reports that they tend to break after a while. I will be taking good care of these to make sure they last as long as possible.

At $80 they were decent money to quality ratio, at $50 they're great.

They look great, sound quality is top notch. My only complaint is that the plastic ear bud pieces don't fit/feel that well, but third party pieces are easy to get.

for $60 these headphones can't be beat, sound clarity and the range of the SA1's beats my higher price and much bulkier Sony studio DJ headphones. The most dramatic difference is how comfortable the SA1's are, i can barely tell I am even wearing them, compared to the Sony DJ headphones that squeezed my ears until they hurt and the generic Ipod headphones that were too big to fit comfortably.

This is my third set of earbuds I've tried in the $50+ range but under $100, the other being a pair of Yamahas and a pair of Sony. These got some great reviews from other sites, so I decided to give them a try. Visually, they're very attractive. Can you think of anyone else that uses a fine wood in the construction of an earbud? The detachable wires is also a nice touch, albeit a modular concept designed to make them compatible with their "Kleer" wireless system. According to SLEEK's website, replacement wires in different colors are offered, but presently black looks to be the only option available. Plan on doing a little tinkering if you purchase these as they come with six pairs of soft tips and two pairs of interchangeable treble tips. If changing between tips, I suggest additionally tightening them down after installing a soft tip. This way you have some extra grip to do so. The treble tips are small and easy to lose, so be wary of where you decide to change them. The only real noticeable difference at first glance is the bass tips are black and if you look inside them there is some sort of ring (fiber?) installed under the screen that seems to reduce the inside diameter of the tip. This might their way of "softening" the output. I was taken aback at the sound quality these offer for this price range. They sound great and are very comfortable, however I think they are slightly inefficient, as I've had to crank up the volume considerably, compared to some others I've tried. They do come through brilliantly with little distortion when I max out on my volume. I've also tried them on a friend's iPod, which apparently has a stronger output, and they sound incredible. The wireless add-on "Kleer" system is a nice option, especially for those of us that own a Zune and don't have the Bluetooth feature, but the price tag needs to come down.

These replaced a set of Sure SCL2's that I have had for years but on which the cable finally gave out. These SA1's sound every bit as good or better than the Sure's. I keep mine either in my ears or in the case but I can see that the cups come off easier than on the Sure's but that is easy to watch.
They are more sensitive to cup selection though and only sound great when you find the right one, good thing they ship with 6 sets.
I am so far very satisfied and enjoy the fact that the next time my cables break I can just replace them without buying a complete new set.