Audio Random IEM / Headphone Rants

Yep! CK100Pro looks like a CK10 upgrade. Tempting! Going by average_joe's review Hidition NT6 seems like the custom equivalent of CK10. But that's for latter days when INR has retained some sanity against USD.

Meanwhile, my "transportable rig" aka brick stack is nearly complete with the addition of a $100 Sys.Concept cable. As Andy would say.....[attachment=10669:17640.attach]


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This is by far my costliest cable to date, even including my erstwhile speaker setup :ashamed:. Typically, they make short distance custom digital cables. Unlike most other setups, my Out and In points happen to be on opposite sides increasing the cost of the cable hugely. But, I wanted to try it out anyway since I was fed up with not only carrying a bloody brick stack, but with extra 1.3m of Optical cable dangling side by side - too much to take even for this audio junkie. The whole process of getting the cable and long e-mails exchanged with Joseph Kmiec of Sys.Concepts Inc was very satisfying. He explained all options patiently. For that tiny piece of cable, the package box size was relatively much larger with lot of protection. The cable I have is mentioned as "1300 strands fiber, Premium Super Polished on 0.3um film Toslink to MiniPlug cable - Custom Made w/o shell". Probably a variation of this - Sys Concept Inc. Fiber Optic Products Attenuators, Patch cords, Laser Diodes, Connectors, MP3, Toslink, Hybrid Adapter and more: 1300-strands 24/196, Toslink Mini 90-deg Precision Premium Cable.

It made my rig much easier to carry. But for the first three hours, it felt like I was getting worse SQ out of the setup what with collapsed sound stage, grainy upper mids, not as good separation, but a tad extra bass punch. After 3 hours, everything settled. Do not worry! It's not cable burn-in, though I seriously suspected my sanity for those three hours. I think dropping QA350 on the table when excitedly picking up for connecting the cable may have more to do with it than cable getting "better" with 30 mins of actual use in those three hours. May be they did a secret handshake and decided not to screw me more? Whatever! Even Sys.Concept did not say their cable needed burn-in, just proper care :)

Now if I can only add one more brick like a battery pack to make this brick stack a mini wall!
 

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Easy! I carry external HDDs from room to room. This rig is not as huge. It probably won't outweigh a HM-801 or (iPod Classic + CLAS + ALO RX2) rig even after taking the huge 300gms weight of QA350 into account. But the dimensions of QA350 make it seem huge.

It's not a "portable" rig, but a "transportable" rig. A transportable rig is one which you listen to when you are stationary (work / home - at the table, on the bed side), not when walking around. That's exactly how I use it. If you try to use it in another manner - for instance, making it 'portable' by use of waist pouch - you get the message not to use it that way within a few minutes. Unlike most DAPs, QA350 comes with a remote. It's meant to be used in a desktop rig as a replacement for a CDP (without need to change discs often) / PC (with much less functionality), so it shows up clearly in it's limitations.

I have more to say about it. But if time and mood meet, I'll write a review of the interesting as well as disgusting encounters with 'audiophile' players later on :p
 
Random Rant at midnight:

It's on the rarest of occasions that I start listening to actual music and enjoy it to a large extent. Tonight is the night (.. and on random interference, Dexter goes further downhill in Season 6 ....) where I thought I'd try EX-1000 with the brick stack and loving it. I am listening for the umpteenth time to Opeth's "Orchid". I just love how these things manage to produce Akerfeldt's growls and tiny variations within it so clearly. They do not sound congested at any stage, mids are very fluid, bass is just amazing, music just seems to flow. Usually with other sources, I have a little to complain, but this combo is really nice! I did not put up those 4 (EX1000, FX700, SM3 and CK10) in a separate category because they are far better than others, but because they manage to make me slip into the music this way at one point or the other. May be CK10 needs to be booted out as it's hanging on the edge of that category by a thread. If not for that amazing imaging and placement, I would have demoted it sometime ago.

Other Random thoughts for today:

RE272: On my extended run with RE272, I still had the feeling it was a little short of that mark. I can see why people use the term "realistic" with RE272. With the right source and power (like the brick stack), it can present details without making it seem like it's trying (and hence one description of them being "nano-detailed"). It's very engaging and gains much more with respect to imaging and layering of sounds with the brick stack than I can remember with any of the sources the previous time. But, I still don't find the relative dynamic range as good as EX-1000. With respect to bass, it's present in an acceptable quantity with the brick stack, but rolls off with the iPod Video -> Arrow rig.

CC51: MEE is offering CC51P (White) for $30 using CC51P_WOW, which makes it a reasonable $37 including shipping (2 max per customer). Would make it roughly 2K and odd shipped. I think for that price, it's a good IEM.

@hahahari,

I am not sure when I'll be able to finish that review, but an outline of my thoughts could be found scattered across posts in this page: HM 601 in Customs!!!!!!!!!!! - Page 2

@mukulymn,

In another find, there may be a reason why you feel the upper mid / treble presence in EX-1000 with E7-E9. To quote Anaxilus

I'd hardly say he's the only case if you actually read the threads. Feel free to answer your own question here:

http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/SonyMDREX1000.pdf

Look at the spike at 5k'ish and the corresponding spike in the impedance curve suggesting a correlating effect relatively dependent on volume. I had to turn the volume down to avoid it
Click to expand...

Wonder if you get the same spike if you listen at lower volumes with E9 or when using other sources like Clip+ / iPhone 4 / anything with a low output impedance mentioned in the FXT90 thread?

PS: Just when I was enjoying music, QA350 started acting up emitting high pitch squeals every now and then (which goes away on restart). So much for liking "audiophile" players :p. It has never happened before. May be it's a sign that I should sleep now!
 
@esanthosh....I do believe its more concerned with e7/e9.....I may be upgrading my source soon....I dont have any other source with me

managing now with EQ... :)

God bless the soul who sold his ex1K @ 280 (Lee730 on HF....now using FX700)

--- Updated Post - Automerged ---

@anubhav....$350-400 is a great price for planar...(if it sounds close to he500)

but $1600 for EF6....phewwwww
 
EF6 is still on pre-order for some $1300 .

Way too expensive . I guess if someone has to go that price tag , then there are plenty of options .

Whereas my HE-300 headphone's are concerned . they are amazing when it comes to soundstage . But they surely need a good amp .

I too might buy a good amp soon ( saving money ) or else might sell my HE-300's soon .
 
I just (means just ... 10-15 mins ago to be exact) got the DT880/600. It has chosen to arrive on a power shutdown day (regular monthly maintenance). So, right now running out of the Brick Stack (or from hereon, BS for short). I am not sure how it's going to pair with the Burson, but right out of the BS, it sounds exactly how I want. Early 5 min impressions can be a bit misleading, but at this point I like it more than HD600. That lower treble bump in DT880 may be the reason :p. If I have to approximate this current feeling I have, it's closer to how excited I was when I got the DBA-02. To summarize - "Why the hell I didn't buy this before?" is the only thing that crosses my mind.

graphCompare.php

I don't know how it will do long-term though! Because as of now, I haven't heard anything that I can call perfect.

DT880/600 >= HD600 > ?Thunderpants? > MS1i > {Fostex T20RP SFI, AD700} >= Superlux HD668B > {KSC-75, PX-80, PMX60}​
Click to expand...

would be the approximate preference ladder. Unlike IEMs, I have not done extensive comparisons among headphones, so take it with a pinch of salt. Also, one main thing to note is that with IEMs, I had used the same source i.e., Clip+ for all of my impressions and subjective ranking. But with headphones, sources I used mainly with each headphone differs wildly, so I have to go with how I felt at the time of listening to draw up this list more than anything else.

If I start listening more to headphones, may be I'll get a Beyer T1. As for others, I am still interested in checking out LCD2 rev 2 / HE500 / D5K / SR225 if I can get them used - the last two purely to quench my curiosity, so a loaner might work better ;). I also have the Brainwavz HM5 coming now. Not sure where it's going to end up. I may need to start selling again early next year - too many new items in the last few weeks :ashamed:

@mukul, anubhav,

I'd wait on HE-400, but the price is very, very tempting. I have no interest in EF-6 though. I am not sure how they are positioning it - HE-400 could become the entry level planar and HE-500 would still remain the better headphone?
 
@Anubhav2345 - Congrats on the He300 !!! :D

How does it compare to your T1s ?

mukulymn said:
[/COLOR]@anubhav....$350-400 is a great price for planar...(if it sounds close to he500)

but $1600 for EF6....phewwwww
Click to expand...

Its a dynamic driver. :)

@Esanthosh - Is that Beyer by any chance from Titana ?
 
^ Yep! It is from titana.

I think mukul is talking about the new HE-400 Planars, not HE-300 (which is of course a dynamic) : HIFIMAN HE-400 Planar Headphones Pre-order

@Anubhav

Can you rank the headphones you currently have in order of preference? Someday I should do a headphone tour and hear your T1, titana's LCD-2 and decide which one suits me more before dropping a huge amount on either of them...
 
^Are you planning to visit Delhi any time soon?

BTW, I am glad to know that you are enjoying the Beyers. Just goes on to to show how subjective this hobby really is. :)
 
^ Delhi: Not soon, but sometime later.

It's really subjective indeed - can't be any other way since each of our ears, gears and (music + signature) preferences all differ :)

Update - actually a series of updates as and when I listened through the night

Another very short listening session with the DT880 - this time with PC and Burson HA-160. I would try to do more listening and may be an actual comparison when I get time tomorrow. For now, I finally tried the DT880 out of the Burson and compare to HD600 from memory. Keep those salt bags ready...

I preferred STX as source over HRT MSII for the DT880. Bass punch is better on the DT880 as is the treble. With treble, it's crisp but not as flat sounding as DBA-02 (APC's "Brena" was the test track as I still remember how DBA-02 did it), but on the flip side thankfully it's not as in your face or aggressive as DBA-02 was. Mids are quite good, even if a slight bit recessed with a little more warmer tone than HD600 (Coloration from STX more than Burson?). Though imaging is good, HD600 had a little more 3D-isque presentation with the Burson. Of course, sound stage size difference does exist, which is to be expected. With a wrong source or for someone with low treble sensitivity, I can see how DT880 can become edgy. While I'll concede that HD600 is relatively much more fatigue free, for me DT880 is more fun because it removes the little nags that HD600 had for me (Burson @ 11 and 12'o clock)

Compared to the BS, the PC setup adds a little more bass quantity and punch, a bit more bass body perhaps, warm tonality, but may be bites off a slight bit away from treble. Also, I find that imaging and placement is a bit more precise with the BS. DT880 + BS is neutral in tone and feels a bit faster too, the last part could be due to slight difference in note weight or thickness. Could the difference in power between a proper desktop amp and a portable one be the reason for these differences? May be (UHA-6S at High gain, Volume: 11 'o clock).

Perhaps one complaint I can make in very short burst of listening could be that cymbals do not sound as natural at all times. Dependent a bit on recording (seemed ok with certain albums)? Perhaps I need to do some EQ to make the treble region flat and see how it goes.

On SQ alone, I'll say DT880 in IEM form would easily be ranked as a top-tier IEM. But, among headphones, it's still "mid-fi". I wonder what "hi-fi" headphones have in store. Now the question arises - Is it worth going for custom or spend the same amount of money on a top-tier headphone (used)? That of course assuming that Burson HA-160 is capable of driving the headphone in question.

Now take and use all that salt. I reserve the right to change everything stated above as there's no proper A:B involved, but placebo, new toy effect and poor audio memory have every chance to be involved.
 
I have been listening to my A900 a lot lately and the treble seemed a bit too harsh for my tastes and the vocals were a bit laid back and the bass just not enough. I know that sounds like everything is wrong with the A900. But nope, its just I am too picky and so I set about fixing the signature.

Using the frequency charts of A900, I adjusted the EQ on my Fuze+ (I so wish RB would come out!) I bumped up the mids a bit and same for the low end.

Bass is still tight but has more thump! Just the way I like it.

Mids have popped up a lot! Vocals are clearer and I LOVE IT!

The treble is still a bit harsh for my taste. Any help?

Will be getting an amp just waiting to see if FiiO release their E17 and how it sounds.

and I did a small mini-mod, fixed a couple of rubber bands to the 3D flaps to increase the grip so I dont have to worry about the HP falling off!!! Works like a charm!

PS: There is a small hissing. Any help? Bad source? Song not encoded properly? Its more pronounced when I am listening to the Fuze+ when its charging.
 
Got PL11 for 650 bucks :(

Didnt find it much different from my Philips SHE9500

Infact it sounds exactly the same...atleast with my 5230 and blade
 
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