Random IEM / Headphone Rants

kenpachiroks said:
Also, when I start off listening, I usually find the -35to -30 level comfortable. And after a while I slowly adjust to -26 and settle there.
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It's the reverse for me. If I start at say -32, I will settle at -35 within the next 30 mins :)

and here's my list of Want to try items - not by price, but based on how I think of them.

IEMs

"Can afford right now, but do I have to?" tier
  1. Philips Fidelio S2
  2. TDK BA200 / IE800
"Can afford after some time, but do I have to?" tier
  1. Custom Art Music Two
  2. 1964 Ears 1964-v3
I still want to try, but not buy
  1. Final Audio FI-BA-SS
  2. Monster Miles Davis Trumpet
  3. Rin modded TFRM
  4. Westone 4/40
  5. Final Audio PF VIII / IX / X
  6. Widing ME10X
  7. Audio Technica CK100Pro
Costly Curiosities
  1. JH Audio JH13FP
  2. Noble 6
  3. Ultimate Ears UERM
  4. Tralucent 1 Plus 2
Non-IEMs

"Can afford now or after sometime, but do I have to?" tier
  1. iBasso DX90 / FiiO X5
  2. Leckerton UHA860 (= 760 + Coax + Opt)
  3. LH Labs Geek out
I still want to try, but not buy (unless they impress me so much)
  1. Hifiman HM901
  2. Astell and Kern AK120 / 100 MKII
  3. Pico Slim
  4. Vioelectric DAC V800 and Violectric HPA V200
  5. Schiitt Vali
"I wish I could save enough to buy" tier
  1. Anedio D2 (or D3)
  2. Nuemann KH120
  3. Audeze LCD 2.2
  4. Sennheiser HD800
Dream tier
  1. Resonessence Labs Invicta
  2. HeadAmp Blue Hawaii SE
  3. Stax SR-009
 
Pardon my ignorance..... What is a "Widing ME10X"?
Definitely adding the custom two to my list.

I don't know schiit about Amps. I'm not entirely clear about the benefits when it comes to iems (other than higher volumes). Does your RE400 improve/show any difference driven out of the clip and say...your 2SD? And if it does, why would it?

Even DAPs,
How much of a difference does it make(again wrt iems) going from, say the clip to the X3 or DX50?
 
kenpachiroks said:
Pardon my ignorance..... What is a "Widing ME10X"?
Definitely adding the custom two to my list.

I don't know schiit about Amps. I'm not entirely clear about the benefits when it comes to iems (other than higher volumes). Does your RE400 improve/show any difference driven out of the clip and say...your 2SD? And if it does, why would it?

Even DAPs,
How much of a difference does it make(again wrt iems) going from, say the clip to the X3 or DX50?
Click to expand...

i do realize that "I don't know schiit about Amps" looks a sarcastic comment considering u know that something called schiit audio exists;)
 
Are sensitivity and impedance the only reasons to consider buying an amp?
The "Bass boost" or other EQ presets then?
Most of the iems I see these days are sensitive(high) enough and have low enough impedance to not be limited by most of the budget DAPs.

@sardar17
I do know 'of' amps. A little 'about' amps. But unclear about 'why.' :)
 
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kenpachiroks said:
Pardon my ignorance..... What is a "Widing ME10X"?
Click to expand...

It's just an obscure Chinese IEM that is supposed to have great timbre like EX1000. Rin measured it here. Even their web site does not exist now :p. I didn't know about their existence until a few days ago when I asked the 'timbre expert' Sir St. James444 about anything bettering EX1000 on timbre.

kenpachiroks said:
I'm not entirely clear about the benefits when it comes to iems (other than higher volumes). Does your RE400 improve/show any difference driven out of the clip and say...your 2SD? And if it does, why would it?
Click to expand...

When it comes to IEMs, a lower OI amp will fix the poor OI source. Well! If you are using the headphone out of the source, you are basically double amping and benefits may be less, but if the device has a line out, then pairing an amp is one way to solve the issue (Example: iPod Video 5.5G -> 2SD / UHA6S). It is an additional investment, but you can pair an amp with all sources.

The second benefit is driving high impedance IEMs (Example: RE262, RE1). I used iBasso T1 with Clip+ to drive RE262, not because Clip+ cannot provide them enough volume, but because with RE262, my Clip+ battery would last only 5 hours.

The third benefit that only good amps offer is driver control. Since many portable sources have output power limitations, they may not provide the optimum swing necessary for dynamics. Sound stage is larger with some of the amps. Since at least some of these benefits are subtle, you may not realize this until you've used the amp for a while and had gone back to other sources. But as I said, 'good' amps! Which good amps? There in lies the issue. You can read 1000 reviews, throw lot of money at them, but you may or may not find that great portable amp you are looking for.

But, coming to your case, do you need it? I'd say Hell NO...O..O..O..O!

In terms of contribution to final sound quality: IEMs >>> Amps > Source >> Cables in the portable realm. Once you have settled on an IEM or may be a clutch of IEMs that you are satisfied with, change the source and see what it offers. Then add an amp if you want to, need to, have to. I did the same. Once I had a clutch of IEMs that I thought was good enough for me (they still are), I 'upgraded' from Clip+ to a setup with QA350 -> UHA6S. Only after I satisfied myself with the fact that this is a combo I'd like to keep, I upgraded the 1m Mini to Optical cable to a Sys.Concept cable that cost $100. If it was less than satisfactory, I'd not have spent on it because it is custom made to exact match between QA350 and UHA6S MKI (won't even work with MKII due to size difference). There was of course no 'SQ upgrade' by changing that cable, but I could finally carry the bricks without a tail hanging beside me.
 
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I used to max out on Clip+ back then but now listen at about 60% of max on Clip Zip/ Fuze and about 40-50% on Cowon D2+ .

Though I don't really believe in new year resolutions , but after realizing that I really miss out on the passion and love for all the audio-gear I might just start reviewing gear again . Analog Vibes is the name ;). Coming soon. This one has been long due. Quiet a lot of exciting DACs , IEMs already on my desk .
 
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esanthosh said:
It's just an obscure Chinese IEM that is supposed to have great timbre like EX1000. Rin measured it here. Even their web site does not exist now :p. I didn't know about their existence until a few days ago until I asked the 'timbre expert' Sir St. James444.
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EX1000 timbre huh. I see it on taobao. ~18.5k, which is quite close to the EX1000.
I dare you to understand this translated me10ex vs. ie8 comparison.o_O I lost it at the 'watermelon length'.

Father James didn't like the XBA-H3. Did you follow the james vs eric showdown on the H1/H3 thread? So very non-hostile in a hostile kind of gentlemanly respectful way :pompus:. Should be a guide on how-to-present-your-opinions-strongly-without-it-turning-into-an-all-out-brawl for newbies :p

esanthosh said:
When it comes to IEMs, a lower OI amp will fix the poor OI source. Well! If you are using the headphone out of the source, you are basically double amping and benefits may be less, but if the device has a line out, then pairing an amp is one way to solve the issue (Example: iPod Video 5.5G -> 2SD / UHA6S). It is an additional investment, but you can pair an amp with all sources.

The second benefit is driving high impedance IEMs (Example: RE262, RE1). I used iBasso T1 with Clip+ to drive RE262, not because Clip+ cannot provide them enough volume, but because with RE262, my Clip+ battery would last only 5 hours.

The third benefit that only good amps offer is driver control. Since many portable sources have output power limitations, they may not provide the optimum swing necessary for dynamics. Sound stage is larger with some of the amps. Since at least some of these benefits are subtle, you may not realize this until you've used the amp for a while and had gone back to other sources. But as I said, 'good' amps! Which good amps? There in lies the issue. You can read 1000 reviews, throw lot of money at them, but you may or may not find that great portable amp you are looking for.

But, coming to your case, do you need it? I'd say Hell NO...O..O..O..O!

In terms of contribution to final sound quality: IEMs >>> Amps > Source >> Cables in the portable realm. Once you have settled on an IEM or may be a clutch of IEMs that you are satisfied with, change the source and see what it offers. Then add an amp if you want to, need to, have to. I did the same. Once I had a clutch of IEMs that I thought was good enough for me (they still are), I 'upgraded' from Clip+ to a setup with QA350 -> UHA6S. Only after I satisfied myself with the fact that this is a combo I'd like to keep, I upgraded the 1m Mini to Optical cable to a Sys.Concept cable that cost $100. If it was less than satisfactory, I'd not have spent on it because it is custom made to exact match between QA350 and UHA6S MKI (won't even work with MKII due to size difference). There was of course no 'SQ upgrade' by changing that cable, but I could finally carry the bricks without a tail hanging beside me.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the info(especially driver control). They do make more sense for full size headphones and like you said, the effect may be subtle for iems.

QA350->UHA6S. Shouldn't the Amp in the QLS be sufficient to drive most headphones quite comfortably?(Not your beyers I guess).
So the DAC and amp is bypassed so that the UHA can do its thing? Am I missing something here?

I guess it'll be long before I have to start thinking about extra DACs and amps. And I'll definitely remember "Hell NO...O..O..O..O!" :D
 
haha,somone was comparing the mh-1 with er-4p and said that mh-1 is better,lol
so i have learnt never to take the single review by anyone seriously but average score matters.

i may be spanked for saying this but the ratings on amazon are pretty spot on in this regard
 
@kenpachiroks,

QA350 is actually too powerful and is unusable for sensitive IEMs.

Yes! UHA6S acts as the DAC and the Amp. It is better via Optical and I hadn't used it as a USB DAC until the recent SE535 review. It may seem a little nutty to spend more than $200 to buy a thingie only to use it as a transport, but I am considering buying X5 precisely for this purpose. All it needs to do is to provide a good coax / opt out, have decent UI, play all file formats (QA350 is WAV in SD Card only ), I'll be done.

'coz SQ of QA350 -> UHA6S > QA350. Enough said :)

As for St. James, he is one of the nicest people I've come across on head-fi. Do you know he has given away his IEMs for free, like CK10 and CK100? He even pleased an Indian (read 2-3 posts) with his MC5. But no, I have never read the Sony XBA-H thread. Can you give me link to the showdown so that I can save sometime? ;)

I love Google translations - "Teething master five-for nausea" - Good luck figuring that one out :P
 
esanthosh said:
@kenpachiroks,

QA350 is actually too powerful and is unusable for sensitive IEMs.

Yes! UHA6S acts as the DAC and the Amp. It is better via Optical and I hadn't used it as a USB DAC until the recent SE535 review. It may seem a little nutty to spend more than $200 to buy a thingie only to use it as a transport, but I am considering buying X5 precisely for this purpose. All it needs to do is to provide a good coax / opt out, have decent UI, play all file formats (QA350 is WAV in SD Card only ), I'll be done.

'coz SQ of QA350 -> UHA6S > QA350. Enough said :)

As for St. James, he is one of the nicest people I've come across on head-fi. Do you know he has given away his IEMs for free, like CK10 and CK100? He even pleased an Indian (read 2-3 posts) with his MC5. But no, I have never read the Sony XBA-H thread. Can you give me link to the showdown so that I can save sometime? ;)

I love Google translations - "Teething master five-for nausea" - Good luck figuring that one out :p
Click to expand...


i also met a punjabi from the thread who wanted to give me something and asked my address.
i was humbled but did not give it as i felt it was improper on my part and it would be one way thing as i had nothing to give in return.
but ppl are really helpful there

now only if

http://www.head-fi.org/u/141855/esanthosh

member could learn from them:p:D:woot::happy::headphone::rolleyes:
 
esanthosh said:
I have known that guy for a very long time. That fellow is like the anti-James444, diametrically opposite. You are asking THAT guy, of all guys, to learn and change? Impossible is Nothing next to that wish :p
Click to expand...


i thought, that guy may believe in karma and i may be able to emotionally blackmail him based on nationality:D
 
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esanthosh said:
@kenpachiroks,

QA350 is actually too powerful and is unusable for sensitive IEMs.

Yes! UHA6S acts as the DAC and the Amp. It is better via Optical and I hadn't used it as a USB DAC until the recent SE535 review. It may seem a little nutty to spend more than $200 to buy a thingie only to use it as a transport, but I am considering buying X5 precisely for this purpose. All it needs to do is to provide a good coax / opt out, have decent UI, play all file formats (QA350 is WAV in SD Card only ), I'll be done.

'coz SQ of QA350 -> UHA6S > QA350. Enough said :)

As for St. James, he is one of the nicest people I've come across on head-fi. Do you know he has given away his IEMs for free, like CK10 and CK100? He even pleased an Indian (read 2-3 posts) with his MC5. But no, I have never read the Sony XBA-H thread. Can you give me link to the showdown so that I can save sometime? ;)

I love Google translations - "Teething master five-for nausea" - Good luck figuring that one out :p
Click to expand...

St. James indeed! That's kindness and selflessness bordering on crazy:p

I didn't link the XBA thread because there's a badly phrased(read: stupid) question I asked eric, that evoked a sympathetic chuckle from James:sorry:. In my defense, I read that the XBA-H3 particularly shines with the new Sony PHA2.
I'll link anyway :bag:. Start skimming from eric's impressions(might run you through a few pages to get the whole picture).
PS: Might not seem like a showdown but you can see the potential(especially if it was someone else):p. I just admire the respect that was shown.
 
kenpachiroks said:
St. James indeed! That's kindness and selflessness bordering on crazy:p

I didn't link the XBA thread because there's a badly phrased(read: stupid) question I asked eric, that evoked a sympathetic chuckle from James:sorry:. In my defense, I read that the XBA-H3 particularly shines with the new Sony PHA2.
I'll link anyway :bag:. Start skimming from eric's impressions(might run you through a few pages to get the whole picture).
PS: Might not seem like a showdown but you can see the potential(especially if it was someone else):p. I just admire the respect that was shown.
Click to expand...

problem is who wants a brick sized pha-2to make h3 shine really??
the other problem is that ppl are modding the vents to reduce the excess bass from h3 and i think that may cause damage to driver in long term and at least driver flex now and then.
i will go to sony centre tomorrow and see if they have an open h3 to try,,,i have little hopes though
 
sardar17 said:
i thought, that guy may believe in karma and i may be able to emotionally blackmail him based on nationality:D
Click to expand...

Yeah! I tried that once too. But that guy is of the opinion that whatever people pay him for his IEMs gets added as cash to his bank account and brownie points to their karma account :p

On another note, are you wearing MH1C straight down? If so, can you try over the ear fit even if it's incredibly difficult and hurting?

@kenpachiroks,

Hmmm... I followed ericp10 for a short while. But he kept hopping to the newest and greatest thing and sometimes, he did 'from memory' comparisons (which IMO are a terrible thing to do). I didn't hear things like he did. So, I stopped following him.

As for war of words, that happens often in Head-fi (which I hate). It is nice when people can respectfully fight the war of ideas. James444 has been around for long to know when not to fight wars that benefit no one!
 
My audio gear wish list goes here:

To try:
UE900 & TripleFi (why? soundstage from reviews)
Any Sennheiser particularly HD600/HD650/IE800/HD25(all variations)
Earsonic SM64/SM3v2 (why? soundstage from reviews)
Koss 950 (affordable electrostatic?!)
Tera Player (WT% player is this?! too curious)
Any HiFiMan products (IEMs/HP/Source)
Vmoda (Headphones/Vamp Versa)
EX1000 (reason esanthosh)
Digizoid ZO2/ZO3 (bass without killing other frequencies? acc to their site)
Any Hybrid earphones (particularly Sony xba h3/ Tpeos H200)
Lekerton UHA6SMK3 (too many good reviews)
iFi Audio iCan/iCan Nano
Colorfly C3/C4Pro
HiSoundAudio (Studio ANV3/Rocoo BA)
Shure SE530/SE535 (had LTD model wants to try or own older model(s), I like shure sound signature)

To own (wishlist ;-)
ER4P (read so many good reviews)
DT880 600Ohm/250Ohm (reason: wants to try Semi-Open, good for all genres)
DX100 (Eying on this one very long time........)
O2+ODAC (JDS/Epiphany)
Venturecraft products (Soundroid/TT) (impressed with DDS1, but battery is giving me trouble now)

Dream list
Audeze LCD2.2
FitEar Universal/Customs
JH13 FreqPhase
WooAudio (Tube amps at leaset WA3)
Stax top end
 
@itsvel06

I am feeling so relieved today. For the first time, I changed three IEMs and didn't feel a thing. No more twist, turn, memory wire. I don't miss SE535 at all. Once your 'precious' with bandages all over it's broken body reaches you, be sure to admit it to ICU :P
 
esanthosh said:
@itsvel06

I am feeling so relieved today. For the first time, I changed three IEMs and didn't feel a thing. No more twist, turn, memory wire. I don't miss SE535 at all. Once your 'precious' with bandages all over it's broken body reaches you, be sure to admit it to ICU :P
Click to expand...

I don't know why, but so far I'm having the best luck in terms of fit when it comes to iems. While so many ppl had a prob with SE535 and MH1c, I found both incredibly easy to use and live with!

Whatever you did to my precious will surely happen to you soon :@ Will meet you both soon in the ICU :P
 
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