The CrossRoads MylarOne and MylarThree - The DaHarder Review

Well Fellow Digital Audio Enthusiast,

After a long and arduous waiting period, I’m now the proud owner of both the CrossRoads Mylar One Classic as well as the MylarThree/MylarOne x3, and would like to share a few thoughts on this dynamic duo.

First up - the CrossRoads MylarOne Classic:

Packaging:

For a company that charges such minuscule amounts of money for their products, CrossRoads/Jaben really seems to go out of their way to provide a solid packaging experience.

The MylarOne came in a very handsome/durable-looking black case, with 3 sets of ear tips in sizes small, medium and large as well as a handy (though heavy) cable organizer.

The case itself has the word CrossRoads handsomely embossed on the top, and over-all feels like a quality piece.

The Units:

Aesthetically, the MylarOne is pretty good looking, though they're hardly in the same league as the beautifully crafted (and far more expensive) V-MODA Vibes.

Regardless, the plastic used throughout is of very high quality, and easily on par with the latest offerings from Shure/UE.

One very thoughtful touch is that each element has a color coded piece of rubber on the cable lead-in to help easily identify the left and right, much unlike the Vibes.

Comfort:

My set of MylarOne’s came with 3 sets of very soft rubber tips, but I found even the smallest ones a bit tight for my ear canals, so I substituted them for a set of smalls from my V-Modas.

Quite Alarmingly, the MylarOne’s produced a very audible POPPING noise when I inserted them into my ears, probably due to air trying to escape… Very Weird!

The MylarOne sits rather deeply in the ear canal, with its thoughtfully rounded edges resting very comfortably against the inside of the ear.

No Ultimate.Ear painfully hard edges or Frankenstein-Neck-Bolt look here!

Though sticking anything in one’s ears is always bit disconcerting, this particular design makes the experience somewhat more pleasant than most.

Sound Quality:

Of course the thing that really matters here is sound quality, and in this area, the MylarOne stands rather strong.

Using the following source material:

- The THE – Mind Bomb – Gravitate To Me

- Donald Fagen – The Nightfly – Green Flower Street

- Radiohead – Ok Computer - Subterranean Homesick Alien

- Maroon 5 – Songs About Jane – Sweetest Goodbye

- Erykah Badu – Worldwide Underground – Danger

- Chaka Khan – Classic Khan – Diamonds Are Forever

- Mozart – Symphony No. 41 in C Major (Allegro Vivace)

All selection were played through my MEIZU M3 (8gb) set flat using FLAC files, the MylarOne proved to be a truly pleasant sonic companion as the cymbals perfectly ‘hit and released’ as the harmonica played menacingly the background of Matt Johnson’ Gravitate To Me.

The rather heavy bass line was fairly well controlled if just a bit 'boomy' at times, though most details on the high-end stayed somewhat well defined.

Chaka Khan’s masterful rendition of Shirley Bassey’s Diamonds Are Forever fared very well on the MylarOne’s, as the opening glockenspiel sounded perfectly bright and accurate. Once the orchestra entered the picture, all instruments were easily identified, though the overall soundstage eseedm a bit ‘narrow’, and the very intricate bass line at times became a bit disoriented/‘all over the place’

On Mozart’s stunning ‘Jupiter’, the MylarOne handled every nuance of the strings with grace and accuracy, never allowing the ‘pluck’ of the cello to become too obtrusive over overbearing. There was a very nice ‘airiness' to the sound, and the overall presentation was very soothing and relaxing… Good Job!

On Maroon 5’s wonderful, though admittedly bass-heavy Sweetest Goodbye, the MylarOne began to lose its composure, unable to reproduce the very lowest frequencies to the point that I actually chose to stop the session as it was becoming quite fatiguing.

There's little doubt that these are very capable IEM’s, but they are not well suited for all types of music, but then again, very few Earspeakers are.

Conclusion: What the MylarOne offers is a very good overall sonic value, and they easily set a completely new standard for the level of quality that can be had for a mere US 39.00!

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Next – the CrossRoads MylarOne x3 aka MylarThree

Packaging:

What was written regarding the packing of the of the MylarOne Classic also goes for the MyLarThree…

Note: This company obviously cares a great deal about their customers, and IT SHOWS!

The Units:

The biggest visible difference between these and their ‘lil bother is that they are a bit larger overall and have a rather attractive metallic red band circling each ear speaker.

Handsome units they are, but again the aesthetic bar has been placed quite high by V-Moda, so these simply fall into the ‘also ran’ category regarding looks.

Comfort:

Though they are slightly larger overall than the One’s, I actually found them more comfortable to wear for the ‘long listen’ than the MylarOne, and they inserted much easier as they didn’t suffer for that bizarre ‘diaphragm POP that the MylarOne often produced when inserted into the ear.

Sound Quality:

Though the MylarOne is a fine sounding IEM, the MylarThree is in an entirely different sonic league, and to my great surprise far easier to drive i.e. much more sensitive as well.

Regarding how the Three sounds: Shocking, is the word!

Using the same DAP, playing the exact same selections, the MylarThree simply brought new life to every recording I cued up.

The opening of Gravitate To Me now displayed every single evil detail, the harmonica part was perfectly placed just slightly left-of-center, and Matt’s voice reverberated through the piece like some Orwelliam Big Bother come to life with a bass line so tight and solid, that I could almost feel it through my entire body… Whoa!

On Diamonds Are Forever, I soon noticed a very discrete missed note on the opening glockenspiel part, and the crescendo of the strings took on an entirely different sense urgency, and the bass… Ahhhh… the bass!

Never overwhelming, never obtrusive, the bass was easily in a league usually occupied by the likes if my Shure SE530/E500 and Ulitmate.Ear Super/Triple.fi IEM units.

Turning to some classical, it was quite obvious that I was dealing with some of the finest, most versatile, IEM units available. Strings were so well defined that I actually heard the bow being lifted from the violin a few times throughout the piece, and the percussion was precise and spot on.

On Sweetest Goodbye, the Three suffered none of the maladies of the One, bringing a fullness to the rhythm section that only a few of the finest earspeakers can even attempt. The lead guitar, Adam’s superb vocals, the drums and the on so sweet sounding organ all occupied clearly defined spaces around my head.

Conclusion: The MylarThree offers a level of fit, finish, packaging and sound quality that, heretofore, has never been available in a any IEM under US 300.00.

The FACT they only cost US 57.00 is the stuff of high-end audio equipment legend, yet here they are, backed by a company that really seems to care about proving customers with an awesome listing experience at minimal cost.

The sound quality of these earspeakers is nothing short of startling, and for the first time ever called into question the exorbitant amounts of money I’ve spent of the SE530, E500, Super.Fi 5pro, Triple.Fi 10pro etc., because to be quite honest, the MylarThree sounds at least 90% as refined, detailed, musical and wonderful as each of the aforementioned.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

yep, already heard of those. Heard they were good too, but I just bought new ones. have to see I guess

Yes... very Meizu-related news isn't it...

Any links to product pages?

CrossRoads MylarOne X3 - Just Brilliant.

Great review. Im still waiting for mine to come in the mail!

Originally Posted by iversonjack

Yes... very Meizu-related news isn't it...

Any links to product pages?

You OBVIOUSLY failed to notice that I used my MEIZU M3 8gb as my DAP test bed, before you decided to Spout Off your rather Rude Comment

http://www.jaben.net/

You also should read the 'subtitle of this portion of the forums, "Me and my Meizu - MeizuMe. Post photos and reviews of your Meizu and related accessories here."...

Some People!

LOL have a cry...

Thanks for link.

I know sound quality reviews are subjective, but are you really sure the Mylar3's
contain 90% of sound quality vs the Shure E500? I'm a bit skeptical how that can possibly be achieved by something that costs significantly less. Regardless, there has been quite a hype about these over at Head-Fi.

Question, the mylar3's dont look very durable, is that the case when handled physically? I'm going to take the plunge and test a pair, but not if they will break soon =P

Good review.
I am thinking to buy the mylar x3 to replace my old sony mdr51.
I am a little worry with sound volume because I use my m6 in very loud environments.
What do you say for the sound volume ?

Thanks

Forgot to add to my post, ofc thanks for the review.
I am planning on buying the XB, they're a bit more expansive, but look better and seem more durable. They also have a better bass than the X3.

My question: I use the EP630 atm, but they give me pretty some hiss. If I watch a movie I can always hear it and ofc if I listen to quite music I can hear it aswell.
I read that that hiss has to do something with how much ohm the phones have. Somewhere on the forum some1 said that >30 ohm=less hiss.These mylar phones have 12 ohm. So my question to you is, do u hear any hiss while watching a movie or when u're listening to some quite music on your m6?

(hiss, somtimes called white noise)

1. Blackstar - I'm not sure on what you base you assesment that, "the mylar3's dont look very durable", but I can assure that they are as well constructed as any earspeakers I own from Shure, Ultimate.Ears, Etymotic etc.

2. jespo, , the MylarThree plays very loudly, and fall somewhere in between my UE 5pro and Shure SE530 in sensitivity.

3. retiredhench, As I have some 150 DAP/PMP units, I had not auditioned the MylarThree with my M6, but... I'm listening to Mozart's Symphony No. 40 in G Minor and the only thing out of the ordinary that I can hear is the pianist taking an occasional breath! LOL!... So No Hiss To be heard here...

I hope this answers some of your questions... :-)

thanks for answering. Now check your meizume inbox ^^

Originally Posted by DaHarder

1. Blackstar - I'm not sure on what you base you assesment that, "the mylar3's dont look very durable", but I can assure that they are as well constructed as any earspeakers I own from Shure, Ultimate.Ears, Etymotic etc.

That assessment was opinionated, based on pictures of the m3 posted by people on head-fi. Anyhow, was going to order them , my friend jumped the gun before me and ordered a pair. As soon as he's done, i'll get to trial them.

can you find out if they hiss with the m6's?

im considering buying the x3

They have a slight hiss on my M6 when there is no music playing.

On my M3 there is zero hiss.

I detect no DAP related hiss whatsoever on either my M6 or M3 from my MylarThree or MylarOne...

Or any of my other players either!

Need to sleep soon, but I'll post my 1 week impression with the mylar3's

Aesthetics 2/10
I didnt really like the look of these, but we're not here for looks now, we want sound quality. :D

Durability 7/10
While not the best, i have a main quirk about the cables being thin. While they dont feel like they will break anytime soon, they do feel a considerable amount cheaper than the thick shure and westone cables, and definately arent as flexible as the high-elastic polymer cables used for the audio technica ck7.

comfort (dependant)
For myself.. i didnt particularly favour the stock tips, apparently jaben now ship the m3's with EX71 tips, which are softer than the stock tips. They sit in your ear snug, with the symmetric cable running straight down.

Sound Quality w.r.t. Price (8/10)
For ~60AUD incl. shipping, I didnt think that the deal was bad at all. For the purpose of a sound quality assessment I used:

2GB M6 TP > mylar3 > CK7 medium tips

CK7 tips are noticeable softer than similar style tips such as those found on the ep-630, while offering less isolation, they are more comfortable for me.

Music:
ELLEGARDEN - Eleven Fire Crackers (punk rock/modern alternative)
Nana Mizuki - Secret Ambition (pop/female vocals)
阿沁 - 记得爱 (pop/male vocal)
Stone Sour - Through the glass (soft rock/male vocal)
Final Fantasy X-2 Piano Compilation - 1000 words (piano)
Final Fantasy Symphonic Collection - Fighting (Instrumental)
Audioplacid - Nevada (Trance)

ALL songs were ripped as a raw WAV file 44khz PCM. (~1.4mbps)

I dont have time to discuss what i heard with each song in detail, so I will generalise the sound quality assessment.

Bass
Bass is definately there, not too much and not too lean. However on some songs, the bass is more on the boomy side and becomes uncontrolled. With regards to the bass, it is slightly muddled, but not to the point where it makes the music unenjoyable.

Midrange
Definately one of the stronger points about the m3's. Its hard to describe the sound signature of the m3's they have a unique type of mids that are upfront and warm. They match closest to the UE sound signature, although not eactly the same. The midrange is upfront and as a result, rock music and pop sound good through the m3's.

The instrumental and piano songs however did not fare so well. In the upper-midrange portion of the spectrum, it sounds slightly hollow causing a misrepresentation of the instruments. While not to the perfection of midrange produced by higher end IEMs, for the price, you really cannot complain. The midrange is what generates the fun factor for these canalphones.

Treble
Treble is acceptable, not being sibilant but rather rolled off. Being rolled off, intrumental timbres do not sound as crisp or as sparkly, but I'm used to the Westone UM2 which has a treble rolloff at ~16khz, so I do not view this as a large issue. The treble on the m3's are not quick. I felt that cymbals and triangles lagged a bit, not ending when they were supposed to. If you compare the quickness of the m3's to the Etymotic Er4s, you'll quickly realise the difference in treble. Overall, the treble isnt bad, but isnt great either..

Stereo Seaparation
Average. Sounds sometimes bleed into both channels. Not really a large flaw, but something to note.

Overall
For 60 bucks you may as well grab a pair if you've never ventured to the canalphone realm. They do their job well and definately will make you dance with your music (assuming you dont use these for instrumental or piano). I wouldnt place them at the Shure e4 or super.fi.5 level, but rather at a level above the Shure E3 and super.fi.3.

You're probably wondering why i even make reference to mid-range IEMs that cost significantly more than these mere canalphones at a fraction of the cost. :D The reason is for reference purposes. If you don't have a good reference, or havent heard anything high-end then really you cannot make an effective comment on whether the canalphones' sound quality is great or not.

For those of you whom have never heard high end IEMs and dont care, heres a little mathematics with canalphones only.

Audio Technica CK7 >= mylar3 (dependant on music genre) > Panasonic HJE-70 >>> EP-630/CX300

Generally I score the Ck7 higher because of the detail and treble resolution produced by these canalphones. In some instances though the CK7 loses out to the mylar3, most notably in music requiring warmth and heavy bass. Although to me, the accuracy of the CK7 is more merticulate compared the the Mylar3.

Ep630... well lets just say i never liked these at all.

All in all, if you want bang for buck, the place to go after the KOSS KSC75 is indeed the mylar3.

my MylarOne XB's is a hiss machine!

Yes about all high quality earphones and IEMs have a tendency to hiss on the M6.

Is the hiss annoying or acceptable?

I'm looking for a suitable player with these headphones:

The Meizu M6 has got the big 2.4" screen but also the hiss, the M3 doesn't have the hiss but only a 1.5" screen.. Which one do you recommend?

Thanks in advance!