Right now I don't have a setup yet, and am contemplating on which direction should I go.
I have only auditioned a few IEMs. So far I seem to be leaning towards UE's sound signature. I'll probably get an SF5pro or an SF3. The SF5pro is a tad better but I'm not sure it worth more than twice as much as the SF3, but if I get the SF3 it seems pretty likely that I'd get the SF5pro or even better phones in the future. SF5pro is the most expensive phone that I have heard, I'm not sure if my opinion would change if I get to hear higher end phones.
Anyway, assuming that I am going the path of low impedance IEM, I'm not sure on what sort of player should I be looking for. At the moment I'm thinking of:
- A DAP with a good built-in amplifier. I'm thinking of asking my friend who is going to Japan to get me Toshiba T401 (not available here)
- Or get an iPod Nano and dock it to a lower end portable amplifier like may be the Crossroad.
While stock amplifier usually has no problem driving lower impedance phones, I experience tighter bass and increased detail by plugging my the handsfree jack of lowly Sony Ericsson K810i into a lowly iBasso P1 with my lowly Sony EX-70EX. Though it might not be relevant as the amplifier in a cell phone might be too anemic for even a low impedance phone.
On other thread I read that iPod's line-out is in fact isn't too different from its earphone jack. If it is worth plugging an earphone jack to an amplifier for a low impedance phone it should open up a few more options for me. Or even put my budget for the DAP on an amplifier instead and use the cell phone as the source, assuming the DAC on the cell phone isn't too bad. Anyway I'm looking for the maximum improvement in sound quality with the minimum budget.
Thanks for reading
I have only auditioned a few IEMs. So far I seem to be leaning towards UE's sound signature. I'll probably get an SF5pro or an SF3. The SF5pro is a tad better but I'm not sure it worth more than twice as much as the SF3, but if I get the SF3 it seems pretty likely that I'd get the SF5pro or even better phones in the future. SF5pro is the most expensive phone that I have heard, I'm not sure if my opinion would change if I get to hear higher end phones.
Anyway, assuming that I am going the path of low impedance IEM, I'm not sure on what sort of player should I be looking for. At the moment I'm thinking of:
- A DAP with a good built-in amplifier. I'm thinking of asking my friend who is going to Japan to get me Toshiba T401 (not available here)
- Or get an iPod Nano and dock it to a lower end portable amplifier like may be the Crossroad.
While stock amplifier usually has no problem driving lower impedance phones, I experience tighter bass and increased detail by plugging my the handsfree jack of lowly Sony Ericsson K810i into a lowly iBasso P1 with my lowly Sony EX-70EX. Though it might not be relevant as the amplifier in a cell phone might be too anemic for even a low impedance phone.
On other thread I read that iPod's line-out is in fact isn't too different from its earphone jack. If it is worth plugging an earphone jack to an amplifier for a low impedance phone it should open up a few more options for me. Or even put my budget for the DAP on an amplifier instead and use the cell phone as the source, assuming the DAC on the cell phone isn't too bad. Anyway I'm looking for the maximum improvement in sound quality with the minimum budget.
Thanks for reading
