DaHarder

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.