Finally got the buds. Put 'em to use and I'm very satisfied. As to answer my own question, these guys can drive sound pretty well even un-amped. I wear them around the ear and I don't find there's any microphonic to cry about. The sound is whole, sharp and the soundstage wide. I like them.

Heya all! These buds are about to hit my mailbox. I however have a question for the members already using and enjoying them: is there a huge difference as to how they would sound between using them amped or un-amped.   I will run them on an ipod touch 5th gen and I'm really not planing to...

Yes that's what I meant. Still bothered by the numerous articles and threads I've bumped into saying the old Ipod classic 5.5 (which I own) would sound better than the devices with the Cirrus chip (touch, nano, Iphones etc.) Hesitation, hesitation...  

Quote: Yeah as it is the IBasso is fine with the Etys. Considering all options I'll go with Touch 64gb > lightning > 30pins adapter > IBasso This way I have an all-in-one device. The only concern I have is the slight loss of sound quality I might experience, going from Wolfson chip to...

Quote: Spot on! I think I was misusing the word DAC. What I want, indeed, is to muscle up the power of the amp side in my set up, since I'm using the ETYs ER 4S earplugs which won't shine until amped up with a portable device alonside the IPOD. So I assume I can still use this set up...

Quote: All right, but what puzzles me is that I'm already using the IBASSO ZERO with my IPOD Classic and it works perfectly well, provided you use the 30pin audio out and not the headphone out. Would it be that different with the IPOD TOUCH 5g if I used the lightning > 30pin adapter...

Quote: Thank you for the reply. But pardon me if I'm not getting it quite right: it seems using the headphone out and plugging it to my DAC would result in a immense loss in sound impedence. I tried it on my IPod Classic, and there the sound in the etys was small and feeble with almost no...

Trying to bump this up a little. Do peeps have any feedback as to the possibility to connect a DAC to a Ipod touch 5 or Iphone 5? I own a little IBasso Zero dac which I like a lot coupled to Etymotic ER4S earbuds. I was considering the Ipod touch 5, but I'm still not sure I can use both my...

Thank you for all the good posts and answers, friends of the wires. I'll keep you posted. Cheers.

Thanx Sefelt. The more I read, the more I feel I'm gonna go for another IPod, At least I'm gonna know the horse I'm about to ride, and it ain't gonna lead me through feral foreign soils. I'm all geared and loaded for Apple and Apple format anyway and I don't feel like fighting another campaign...

You’re probably right there. The d-zero ain’t such a bad amp, however, even if being a bottom-of-the-range amp in the grand scheme of things. It saved my Ipod 5th g from absolute mediocrity, however, no question asked. It also and gave my etymotic something to bite into. Maybe I should just...

Thx for the answer. Cowon units not bearing no line out save for the headphone ? Wow that sounds grim... Does it mean no Cowon user pair them with dedicated amps and these unit are meant to go unamped? That sounds very counter-audiophile, if you will.   As for the 7th gen ipod, I heard...

No offense, but I don't think an IPad could really qualify as a "portable" device. As for the sound quality, I've heard it's about the same as an IPhone. Not stellar if you ask me, but still decent if you're not into audiophile expectations.

Hi ya'll.   I'm considering changing my DAP since the battery of my IPpod classic 5 gen. is now on the verge of total collapse. I was contemplating the Cowon x7 as a new tool of choice for the music source. Here's the point where my questions and requests start off:   - I would pair my...

Thanks a mill. My pal will surely take advantage of this link: he really wants them bloody scratches off his pod.