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Author Topic: The All Purpose Advice Thread  (Read 139949 times)

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evanft

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Re: The All Purpose Advice Thread
« Reply #1050 on: May 02, 2015, 02:41:39 AM »

My UERM hissed with iPod 5.5; many IEMs do.

Did you ever use a line out dock into an amp?
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Claritas

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Re: The All Purpose Advice Thread
« Reply #1051 on: May 02, 2015, 03:24:14 AM »

Did you ever use a line out dock into an amp?

Sure. No hiss then.
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eddypoon

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Re: The All Purpose Advice Thread
« Reply #1052 on: May 02, 2015, 02:58:19 PM »

I'll definitely keep an eye on the Leckerton. I've gone through the leaderboard so it's been on my radar for sometime. Just want to wait for some time to try (if possible) other things I've been eyeing on (new Rx, Elekit TU-HP 01, Herus, C5D, Oppo HA2).
Hi all, I am on a similar boat - iPhone 6.

Looking for a portable solution to enhance my music life in the train. Prefer to be smaller so that my pants will not budge out...

My guess is an iPhone 6 + Leckerton? or iPhone6 + GO450? or Fulla? will be using UERM

Thank you very much for your advice, and pointers, in advance.





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joch

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Re: The All Purpose Advice Thread
« Reply #1053 on: May 02, 2015, 03:55:21 PM »

Hi all, I am on a similar boat - iPhone 6.

Looking for a portable solution to enhance my music life in the train. Prefer to be smaller so that my pants will not budge out...

My guess is an iPhone 6 + Leckerton? or iPhone6 + GO450? or Fulla? will be using UERM

Thank you very much for your advice, and pointers, in advance.







I think you'll need big pants pockets for some of the solutions.

I got the GO450 working with my iPhone, but that requires a Camera Kit, a tweaked USB Y power splitter, and a battery pack. It's not exactly the most elegant solution.

This is still available in IGG from Centrance which might be an ideal commuter unit for the iPhone: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/hifi-skyn-iphone-case-made-for-music
http://igg.me/at/hifi-skyn/x/9253412 (I backed this when it first came on)
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x838nwy

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Re: The All Purpose Advice Thread
« Reply #1054 on: May 02, 2015, 04:10:14 PM »

What do you guys think of the ibasso dx90?

Thanks

C
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evanft

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Re: The All Purpose Advice Thread
« Reply #1055 on: May 02, 2015, 04:46:35 PM »

I ended up ordering the UERMs today. Impressions are already on their way to UE.


I figured I'd post my initial impressions here after having the UERMs for a few days.

Reference System
HD800 (stock)
Mjolnir
Modi 2

Gear Used
Modi 2-->iFi iCan Micro
Galaxy Note 2
Moto G
Sansa Clip+

Comfort
The fit has some small issues, but overall is very good. They really do mostly disappear after they reach body temp. I also like how once they're in, they're in, unlike every pair of universal IEMs I've ever owned. Isolation is also great, especially at the gym. It's nice to be able to work out without having to jack the volume up to ear-splitting levels to block out the noise.

The cable is somewhat microphonic, though. I'm not sure if that's just a normal thing or not.

Gear Sensivity
Sound varies widely from source to source. List above is rough ranking in terms of SQ. All aspects of sound improve as you move up, but bass, treble, and overall instrumental separation/imaging seem to be what are really effected. The Moto G seems to have some measured roll off on the top and bottom, but the Clip+ makes female vocals sound robotic and plasticy.

Sound Quality
I don't have a balanced cable yet, so these are EARLY impressions based on a few days listening from mostly non-ideal gear. I'm also doing this in bullet points because I suck at writing.

- These really are as neutral as everyone says. There's no single aspect of the sound emphasized over any other, and it's kind of a weird experience. They really make my HD800s sound bright in comparison

- The bass is surprising. There's more of it than I anticipated since I had heard from some people that these were bass light. I'd say it's just the right amount.

- It's probably the gear used, but there seems to be a lack of clarity/detail and air. I was honestly expecting much more. There's certainly more than a lot of headphones, though, I'd say more than the HD650 I had last year. Maybe my expectations need to be recalibrated because of the HD800. It may be an unfair comparison, especially with the HD800's treble tilt.

- This is again probably the gear, but there's not a lot of dynamic texture. Loud passages don't hit much harder than softer passages, and microdynamics are practically nonexistant. I've found this aspect of sound to be very amp-dependent, though, so I expect that to improve once I try these with the Mjolnir or upgrade the portable source.

Overall, I'm not particularly enthused with these. The isolation and comfort are fantastic, but the sound quality so far has not been worth it. If I had the option to return them and get two pairs of UE4s instead (one for work, one for the gym), I probably would. Hopefully, after the small fit problems get fixed and the balanced cable comes, some of my issues with them will be alleviated.
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soulintension

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Re: The All Purpose Advice Thread
« Reply #1056 on: May 02, 2015, 10:56:08 PM »

Hi guys..

Need a little help understanding some gear.


How do pro audio interfaces compare to usb dacs and amps?

I found this interface on craigslist and it calls itself compatible for headphones whos impedance ranges from 24-600. Will it be compatible with my dt880/600?

Here are some specs for the interface I found (Maudio C600) http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/article/5066-m-audio-fast-track-c400-c600-what-s-the-difference-.html

How does it compare to the Magni/Modi?

How does it compare to just the modi? (or for instance the odac)?

Why do audiophiles tend to stay away from recording gear (I haven't seen anyone on changstar/head-fi talk much audio interface etc)?
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Armaegis

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Re: The All Purpose Advice Thread
« Reply #1057 on: May 03, 2015, 06:18:56 AM »

Proaudio stuff is just as widely varied in quality as "audiophile" stuff.

Years ago I had an M-Audio interface (can't remember the name of it; this was way back when PCs still occasionally had firewire ports). I thought it sounded good, on the warm side of things, but my main gripe was the unstable drivers. That was ages ago though, so it might be a totally different story now, but that's been my only experience with M-Audio (aside from some of their studio monitors).

Audiophiles do tend to be a fickle bunch, and tend to shun the proaudio (or "prosumer") grade stuff for no real reason beyond snobbery.
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eddypoon

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Re: The All Purpose Advice Thread
« Reply #1058 on: May 03, 2015, 07:17:02 AM »

I think you'll need big pants pockets for some of the solutions.

I got the GO450 working with my iPhone, but that requires a Camera Kit, a tweaked USB Y power splitter, and a battery pack. It's not exactly the most elegant solution.

thank you. Sounds like the bulk is really hard to avoid. : (
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Priidik

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Re: The All Purpose Advice Thread
« Reply #1059 on: May 03, 2015, 08:21:29 AM »

Proaudio stuff is just as widely varied in quality as "audiophile" stuff.

Audiophiles do tend to be a fickle bunch, and tend to shun the proaudio (or "prosumer") grade stuff for no real reason beyond snobbery.

While i would agree in general, i'd still say the pro audio market is flooded with more crap, even more than ''head-audiophile'' market and the focus is elswhere. Some of really well regarded stuff sound like ass. No offence, but M-Audio can only make semi-decent monitors for good price, ime. I have owned or my close friends have owned different brands of pro-audio gear, i was once into this. I got introduce to headphones through mastering studio business.
The Benchmark DAC1 was first received by pro-audio crowd, supposedly marketed as such, hyped to heavens but it's nothing so special. Some 'hi-fi' stuff can be better at fraction of cost.
It is somewhat easier to sell junk with pro-audio sticker on it. The other side is pro audio devices are often optimized to be functional, user friendly, rock steady and super compatible with everything. Sound quality is usually not the highest priority. 
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