Audio Random IEM / Headphone Rants
- Thread starter esanthosh
- Start date
bennysachdev
Adept
The noise is even more prominent with iems. I can hear my hdd when it starts spinning.
I dunno what to do now.
Any suggestions?
--- Updated Post - Automerged ---
Ok I tried it with the macbookpro and its really clean. So I guess its my PC / Xonar STX which is the culprit.
I dunno what to do now.
Any suggestions?
--- Updated Post - Automerged ---
Ok I tried it with the macbookpro and its really clean. So I guess its my PC / Xonar STX which is the culprit.
bennysachdev
Adept
Ahhhaaaa......Problems fixed.
Apparently the power cable(molex connector) from the psu to the STX was shared with the HDD. This bulb shone like the sun over my head when I read your thread esanthosh on STX Crosstalk. I opened up my cabinet and changed the power connector to one which was lying idle and voila!! No noise even when the Burson is on full volume through my D5k. Quite impressive!!
You will not believe I was one click away from buying a used HRT Music Streamer Pro which is on sale for 400SGD. Pretty good deal if you compare it to the price of a new one. But thats a Random DAC/AMP Rant.
Speaking of 700+posts, I realized that we should we have a separate Random DAC/AMP thread since finding a post in this thread is getting more and more difficult.
Apparently the power cable(molex connector) from the psu to the STX was shared with the HDD. This bulb shone like the sun over my head when I read your thread esanthosh on STX Crosstalk. I opened up my cabinet and changed the power connector to one which was lying idle and voila!! No noise even when the Burson is on full volume through my D5k. Quite impressive!!
You will not believe I was one click away from buying a used HRT Music Streamer Pro which is on sale for 400SGD. Pretty good deal if you compare it to the price of a new one. But thats a Random DAC/AMP Rant.
Speaking of 700+posts, I realized that we should we have a separate Random DAC/AMP thread since finding a post in this thread is getting more and more difficult.
So who's getting one of 'em Sony BA's:
The diary entries of a little girl! ~ | ~ Latest memoir: How to purchase the Sony XBA-4 (post #600)
The diary entries of a little girl! ~ | ~ Latest memoir: How to purchase the Sony XBA-4 (post #600)
esanthosh
Skilled
Can't deny that I am tempted to get one of them, especially the XBA-3.
My wishlist is short: Monster Trumpet, ACS T15, FAD Heaven "A" or "C", XBA-3 and some balanced custom IEM.
The depreciated Rupee and the empty wallet won't allow me to think about audio for sometime. It's either audio related or other items and I am more in favour of other items right now.
My wishlist is short: Monster Trumpet, ACS T15, FAD Heaven "A" or "C", XBA-3 and some balanced custom IEM.
The depreciated Rupee and the empty wallet won't allow me to think about audio for sometime. It's either audio related or other items and I am more in favour of other items right now.
chiron
Skilled
Panasonic headphones (HTF600, HTF880, DJ600) etc are supposed to be available for demo at Headphone Zone in Garuda Mall, Bangalore. The prices mentioned by the ferrarivideo people over phone was also fairly decent(3.6k for HTF880). If anyone is going to Garuda then please check them out
for those interested the price of HiFiman headphones has been dropped :
HE300 - $250 ( earlier they were $300 )
HE500 - $699 ( earlier they were $899 )
but the price of HE6 have been further increased
HE-6 - $1299 ( earlier they were $1199 )
a $200 price reduction in the HE500 is great. you can get the he500 second hand at even better price now .
HE300 - $250 ( earlier they were $300 )
HE500 - $699 ( earlier they were $899 )
but the price of HE6 have been further increased
HE-6 - $1299 ( earlier they were $1199 )
a $200 price reduction in the HE500 is great. you can get the he500 second hand at even better price now .
bennysachdev
Adept
I can buy one for you here and send it to you after a few months
esanthosh
Skilled
I would seriously consider that
But I am thinking of other things as well. It does not bode well for headphone setup right now as power cuts are back again (4-6 hours - most of it random). Instead of what I did with IEMs - a sort of educational trip buying everything I wanted to, I want to take a different approach with headphones. I won't need more than a couple or at most three. Right now, HD600 has sort of raised the bar for my next one. From what I gather, DT880 would be at the same level of overall performance. What if I save up for a year more and get a used T1 or LCD2-rev2/HE-500? Just a thought...
Coming back to IEMs, I am happy that I decided to retain Eterna over some other IEMs which I considered to be better. When you reduce your inventory to less than a third, there are many considerations to be done. First thing that comes to mind is not about selling IEMs to create more space, but how hard it is to get them back if I hastily let them go. Some of them are rare and can no longer be found in the wild, some are discontinued models (XCape v1) and so on. Having gotten used to too much variety, it made sense to retain not only what are to my ears the best sounding, but also have some variety left on the table. That is why I sold all the Xears, even the Silver Bullet, but retained the Eterna (same with letting go off e-Q5 & GR07, but keeping FXT90).
Using it via iPod (5G) Video -> LO -> UHA-6S, it sounds just about right. I would say that the Touch 3G I had was a bit cold/digital sounding. Touch may have a flatter frequency response and perhaps was a bit more extended on both ends. However, iPod Video has a more, let's say, analog sound - better body and perhaps a bit more warmth. It does suck when used directly out of headphone out perhaps on account of it's high output impedance. But in contrast, combined with UHA-6S via LOD, it easily scores over Clip+ - storage size, battery life, a more convenient screen with the same Rockbox, better power of UHA-6S and may be slightly better dynamics it brings out with IEMs. Clip+ still scores in terms of absolute portability and the ability to do well with most IEMs due to it's low output impedance. But then, it also has lower output power. Frankly, I have not used Clip+ for some time now. This small brick stack (iPod Video -> LO -> UHA-6S) and the bigger brick stack (QA350 -> DO -> UHA-6S) are getting more and more use.
Technically, Eterna may be slow, thick sounding, not so detailed with plenty of mid-bass and recessed treble. But then it has good sound stage capabilities with good separation and placement. Eterna seems more than happy with the very minimal amplification I provide (UHA-6S somewhere around 7:30 than 8'o clock) and makes me forget all the bloody technicalities and just enjoy the music. The treble does not seem as recessed and bass does not boom as with Clip+ (I'd think that Clip+ is flatter at the lower end). It offers me more fun than a few other 'better' IEMs.
I am waiting for the fixed ZO2 to come back so that I can test all those mythical claims of what it adds to the sound.
But I am thinking of other things as well. It does not bode well for headphone setup right now as power cuts are back again (4-6 hours - most of it random). Instead of what I did with IEMs - a sort of educational trip buying everything I wanted to, I want to take a different approach with headphones. I won't need more than a couple or at most three. Right now, HD600 has sort of raised the bar for my next one. From what I gather, DT880 would be at the same level of overall performance. What if I save up for a year more and get a used T1 or LCD2-rev2/HE-500? Just a thought...
Coming back to IEMs, I am happy that I decided to retain Eterna over some other IEMs which I considered to be better. When you reduce your inventory to less than a third, there are many considerations to be done. First thing that comes to mind is not about selling IEMs to create more space, but how hard it is to get them back if I hastily let them go. Some of them are rare and can no longer be found in the wild, some are discontinued models (XCape v1) and so on. Having gotten used to too much variety, it made sense to retain not only what are to my ears the best sounding, but also have some variety left on the table. That is why I sold all the Xears, even the Silver Bullet, but retained the Eterna (same with letting go off e-Q5 & GR07, but keeping FXT90).
Using it via iPod (5G) Video -> LO -> UHA-6S, it sounds just about right. I would say that the Touch 3G I had was a bit cold/digital sounding. Touch may have a flatter frequency response and perhaps was a bit more extended on both ends. However, iPod Video has a more, let's say, analog sound - better body and perhaps a bit more warmth. It does suck when used directly out of headphone out perhaps on account of it's high output impedance. But in contrast, combined with UHA-6S via LOD, it easily scores over Clip+ - storage size, battery life, a more convenient screen with the same Rockbox, better power of UHA-6S and may be slightly better dynamics it brings out with IEMs. Clip+ still scores in terms of absolute portability and the ability to do well with most IEMs due to it's low output impedance. But then, it also has lower output power. Frankly, I have not used Clip+ for some time now. This small brick stack (iPod Video -> LO -> UHA-6S) and the bigger brick stack (QA350 -> DO -> UHA-6S) are getting more and more use.
Technically, Eterna may be slow, thick sounding, not so detailed with plenty of mid-bass and recessed treble. But then it has good sound stage capabilities with good separation and placement. Eterna seems more than happy with the very minimal amplification I provide (UHA-6S somewhere around 7:30 than 8'o clock) and makes me forget all the bloody technicalities and just enjoy the music. The treble does not seem as recessed and bass does not boom as with Clip+ (I'd think that Clip+ is flatter at the lower end). It offers me more fun than a few other 'better' IEMs.
I am waiting for the fixed ZO2 to come back so that I can test all those mythical claims of what it adds to the sound.
esanthosh
Skilled
mukulymn said:analog sound - better body and perhaps a bit more warmth....hmmm
Seems a good match for ex1K....
will wait for ur ZO2 impressions
Speaking of EX-1000, whatever happened to your own impressions? Do you like it?
And the comparison between the iPods is strictly relative. I did not even get to compare them side by side, so it's going off memory. But, I did not like the iPod Touch 3G with many of my IEMs, but like the same IEMs with iPod Video. It would not make the EX-1000 more thick sounding. We need a more colored source, perhaps the HM-60X for that, I guess
. I liked EX-1000 with Sony E353 though - some sort of special synergy there.As for ZO2, it was practically unusable for me. It not only hissed with CK10 (more) and PFE (very slightly), it made a thud/pop sound whenever I inserted an IEM into it's headphone jack. Even with HD600, I could hear a very faint pop. With iPod headphone out, I kept the volume at -60 in Rockbox and increased the volume of ZO2. But then, I almost blew my ears off when I connected HD600 without reducing the volume when I changed from headphone out of iPod to LOD.
Based on brief listening, lot of warmth was added. A little better sound stage perhaps, a bit more resolution. Felt like treble was a bit more rolled off than iPod's - though not sure. But, bass was not right - it was a bit thick sounding / muddy with PFE. I will anyway wait for the fully fixed ZO2 before saying anything more. I was more interested in seeing how it performs with CK10, EX-1000 vs Arrow's bass boost.
NeXT said:
V-shaped, sibilant, plenty of bass, not so good mids - that's what the general review says. Somewhat reminds me of S4. May not be worth 1800, I guess. Any specific signature and/or budget range you are looking at?
As far as ex1k goes........its absolutely mind blowing....My re262 dont see the daylight anymore...
Ex1k has everything i need from an iem..(For home use)...With ex1k you really need good source....no more badly recorded/encoded files....it makes you fall in love with it..
My only problem is emphasis on lower treble and sibilance(with few recordings)....if ZO2 can fix that, i will order that for sure....waiting patiently for ur impressions
Ex1k has everything i need from an iem..(For home use)...With ex1k you really need good source....no more badly recorded/encoded files....it makes you fall in love with it..
My only problem is emphasis on lower treble and sibilance(with few recordings)....if ZO2 can fix that, i will order that for sure....waiting patiently for ur impressions
esanthosh
Skilled
Are you still using it with FiiO E7->E9 most of the time? I think source is one of the main reasons why some people hear that bump in frequency response while others don't. James444 does not hear it, I did not with Clip+. However, you use it with something flatter (or brighter depending on where you're coming from) like QA350, it's treble tilt is easier to hear.
Seems like I was the only one with headphone jack "pop" sound with ZO2.
Moving on, if somebody is on the lookout for a non-fatiguing IEM within $150, consider Fischer Audio Tandem - [Review] Fischer Audio Tandem - Perfect Harmony. It's cheaper than RE262 ($129), seems to have decent build quality and would not sound dark. I wonder how it compares with RE262 though!
Seems like I was the only one with headphone jack "pop" sound with ZO2.
Moving on, if somebody is on the lookout for a non-fatiguing IEM within $150, consider Fischer Audio Tandem - [Review] Fischer Audio Tandem - Perfect Harmony. It's cheaper than RE262 ($129), seems to have decent build quality and would not sound dark. I wonder how it compares with RE262 though!
esanthosh said:
Hi Guys, I am also looking for an iem in the 150$ range.. what would you suggest? GR07,FXT90,tandem,re262 or some other. have gone thru the reviews but not sure it will be good without hearing the sound.
I have koss75,hippo boom. I like the Koss 75 sound. If u know an iem with same sound sig as Koss 75 pls suggest. Earlier i was looking for bassy iem with good clarity then decided to order an amplifier. Ordered ZO2 it will be shipped after they address the hiss issue. Hope ZO2 will help satisfy the Bass craving with any iem. From most the reviews seems that most high end phones lack bass,have more treble
so now i am looking for iem will have good clarity. an okay bass(will use ZO2 for in creasing this), good soundstage, mids shouldn't be very recessed, should not have harsh treble so that ears bleed,treble not overly bright that it is fatiguing but still not too dark. Would have ordered DDM but the design looks too weird...my source would be rock-boxed clip + I know lots of criteria, but any suggestion is welcome. Thanks for the help..