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Announcing the release of new series -B series (B1, B2 and B3)

Japanese audio manufacturer S’NEXT (CEO Mitsuru Hosoo) will release the new products from its in-house brand final – B1, B2 and B3 (B series) – on July 3.

B series is a new engineer driven product series that productizes each of the latest research results.  Series concept and retail price are not bound in a hierarchy, productization is by order of development, so product name and numbers reflect the order of development. 

 
■Sound design with consideration to the relationship between the spatial impression and dynamic range of music as well as the physical characteristics of earphones and headphones
Sound design for B series has been undertaken with attention to the relationship between spatial impression and dynamic range of music, and the physical characteristics of earphones and headphones.  We have categorized sound creation on music recording onto these two axes: spatial impression and dynamic range. 

One way of thinking regards the distance perception.  Classical and jazz recordings are thought to be performed with emphasis on aspects of spaciousness, such as sense of distance, broadness and reverberation. On the other hand, rock, pops and many of the recent animation soundtrack recordings, spaciousness is not as highly emphasized.  There is thought to be greater emphasis on clarity, which brings the various instruments and vocals to the front.

Another approach is dynamic range - in other words, changes in loudness over time. If the dynamic range is wide, naturally it is possible to use the change in loudness over time to achieve a more dynamic expression of music.  But, there are some types of music for which narrower dynamic range recordings are preferable to allow each of the instruments and vocals to ordinarily appear before the listener’s eyes. 

The difference between these two ways of thinking pertains not to which is superior but rather differences in how music is composed and what is demanded of it. With regard to classical music, and that played by orchestra in particular, the spatial orientation of instruments is particularly important.  Stringed instruments are positioned nearest to the audience with wind and percussion placed behind them.  Should the balance between the spatial orientation and volume of each group of instruments collapse, the music would disintegrate. For that reason, uniform clarity of sound that allows each instrument to appear before the eyes of the listener is not demanded of this type of music.  Even for classical music, a string quartet, for example, would have a narrow dynamic range and the clarity of each instrument would be more prominent.  For rock and pops on the other hand, spaciousness is not as necessary as for classical music, and so there is greater emphasis on clarity than spaciousness. 
These preconditions are very important, particularly for earphone and headphone listening, and it has become apparent that the implementation of appropriate target curves and driver design result in deeper enjoyment of music.

Please refer to the below [graph 1] with spaciousness and clarity of music set on the X axis and dynamic range set on the Y axis.  

Whereas our E3000 model was designed with aim at the very center of the graph, the B series is positioned outside that area. 
In other words, in comparison to the E series, the B series is positioned more as a model to listen to a specific type of music, and you might become so enthralled with it that you can’t do without it.  This attraction is typical of the products we produce.

B1 is a model designed with particular emphasis on proximity of sound and sense of reality.  In music represented by animation soundtracks, recordings make the proximity of sound more conspicuous.  For this type of music recording, the B1 has been designed to achieve playback more consistent with the balance of sound as created by the engineer.

B2 is a model particularly well suited to rich spatial recordings.  It is well suited to classical music recordings that take adequate advantage of the reflections and reverberation of a concert hall as well as live recordings to reproduce the feeling of "being there".  Moreover, the B2 employs an MMCX connector that makes it possible to switch cables in the event of a severed connection.

B3 model was designed with particular emphasis on clarity.  It caters to those who wish to have the delicate sound of each musical instrument delivered gorgeously even from live recordings, and enjoy tight vocals from animated soundtracks and EDM.  It comes equipped with a standard silver coat cable and employs an MMCX connector that makes it possible to switch cables in the event of a severed connection.
■The Feeling of a Customized Fit
Superior feeling of fit of an earphone is determined by the presence or lack of a feeling of pressure.  There are products on the market with an ergonomically praised organically curved surface that should be suitable for placement somewhere in the ear, but because the holding positions for those shapes place pressure on the ear, fatigue accumulates over time.
As a result of having newly returned to the basics with regard to our thinking about fit with little sense of pressure, we have arrived at a way of thinking that involves 2 holding positions and 1 assisting position so as to not slip out.
Much the same as a tripod, a stable fit can be secured for any chassis with 3 holding positions.

In the green section of the [diagram 2] below <earpiece> is 1 position, the blue section <Tragus>is one position, and the pink colored section <cavity of the concha> is 1 position for a total of 3 positions.  The tragus secures an earphone with an earpiece in such a way that makes it difficult to feel stress even when force is applied, and the pink section adopts a fit method in which the earphone is supported in place by the cavity of concha in such a manner as to not slip out.  By clearly identifying the points of contact, more people’s ears can conform to a fit with no sense of pressure.
If there is no sense of pressure, the fit of the earphone will be felt to be that much more comfortable, and in this way, it achieves the superior fit of a seemingly customized earphone.
■Long-Life, repairable construction
The front-rear two-piece separable construction makes the product easy to repair for a lifetime of use.
■Metal Injection Molding (MIM) stainless steel housing
MIM is a process by which powdered metal is mixed with a binder to form a resin in the desired shape and applying high-temperature sintering to achieve the desired form.
 
Please refer to the information below for more details.
 

Details

■Features
-Sound design with consideration to the relationship between the spatial impression and dynamic range of music as well as the physical characteristics of earphones and headphones
-the Feeling of a Customized Fit
-Long-Life, repairable construction
-Metal Injection Molding (MIM) stainless steel housing
-final original driver unit
-MMCX silver-coated cable (exclude B2)
-original earpieces with a color difference between the left and right bushes.
-original package for B series
■Specification
<B1>
Product code: FI-B1BDSSD
Housing: Stainless steel (Rose gold) 
Driver: 1D+1BA (Networkless)
Impedance: 13 Ω
Sensitivity: 94 dB/mW
Cable length: 1.2 m 
Weight: 36 g 
Accessories: Silicon carry case, Ear pieces (E type 5 sizes), Ear hook

<B2>
Product code: FI-B2BSSD
Housing: Stainless steel (Gunmetal finish) 
Driver: 1BA 
Impedance: 41 Ω
Sensitivity: 109 dB/mW
Cable length: 1.2 m 
Weight: 32 g 
Accessories: Silicon carry case, Ear pieces (E type 5 sizes), Ear hook

<B3>
Product code: FI-B3B2SSD
Housing: Stainless steel (Silver Frost) 
Driver: 2BA (Networkless)
Impedance: 19 Ω
Sensitivity: 102 dB/mW
Cable length: 1.2 m
Weight: 36 g 
Accessories: Silicon carry case, Ear pieces (E type 5 sizes), Ear hook
■Product page
<B series>
https://snext-final.com/en/products/bseries/

<B1>
https://snext-final.com/en/products/detail/B1

<B2>
https://snext-final.com/en/products/detail/B2

<B3>
https://snext-final.com/en/products/detail/B3