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ESW10 Owners: Best Portable Amp?

post #1 of 30
12/3/08 at 8:27pm
Thread Starter 
I've been searching for impressions on what portable amps have great synergy with the recently released ESW10. So far, I've really only seen a few brief comments about the phone's sound on specific portable amps, and I have seen a few threads discussing portable amps and the ESW9. But since the general consensus in that the ESW10 has a distinctly different sound than the ESW9, I'd assume that each phone would be best suited with different portable amps. Those of you out there who have heard the ESW10 on more than one portable amp, could you perhaps offer your thoughts on which amps sound the best with it or even if the ESW10 benefits much from an amp? Thanks!
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post #2 of 30
12/3/08 at 8:36pm
I'm going to get the ESW10 and RSA P51 really soon, maybe by this weekend. I'll chime in and give some impressions about these babies.
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post #3 of 30
12/3/08 at 8:42pm
I'm also wondering the same question.
I've been thinking of pico or mustang p-51 but don't know if its worth spending that much (~$500 for amp + LOD) if there isn't much improvement to the sound. I guess I wont hear anything about P-51 until the end of this week which is when the first shipment will likely be received by those who pre ordered it. I remember somewhere skylab saying it sounded great when he reviewed the amp with his ESW9 so I'm hoping it will be similar with the esw10.
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post #4 of 30
12/3/08 at 8:48pm
Thread Starter 
Yeah, I know I didn't mention price in my original post, but I'd lalso like to know if these sound nice with some less expensive amps ($150-$250).
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post #5 of 30
12/3/08 at 9:55pm
I have my esw10jpn connected to an iqube and I absolutely love the synergy of the combo. I feel that the iqube is transparent enough not to change the sound sig. of the esw10 but at the same time it enhances the highs and lows quite a bit. I was actually about to pull the trigger and try a P-51, but when I thought about it, I couldn't be happier with my iQube/ESW10 combo and don't know how the P-51 could really enhance that much more. Also, I much prefer the form factor of the iqube because it is same footprint as Zune/iPod and looks really seamless. The P-51 feels like it would be awkward with anything other than a 3G iPod nano, which is the same footprint. All in all, I really believe that unlike most iems that don't really benefit from amping, the ESW10 should be treated as a full sized headphone that really benefits from a good amp.
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post #6 of 30
12/3/08 at 10:01pm
esw10 is an iem? hehe
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post #7 of 30
12/3/08 at 10:28pm
monsiuerguzel,

its great to hear that the esw10 really benefits from amping. how does it sound without an amp directly from ipod?
i would really love to get the iqube but having spent already ~$500 on the headphone, i'm not sure i can afford the iqube. with LOD you are looking around ~700 dollars or so...
I wish all the amp manufacturers would have big christmas sales...doesn't look likely though...
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post #8 of 30
12/3/08 at 10:33pm
Yeah, fortunately I got mine with the live search discounts, so each went for about $350 (still not cheap unfortunately).

To me the esw10 actually sound quite good straight from an ipod. If i didn't have an amp, I would have been perfectly happy with the sound, but since I have an iqube, I can tell that the sound is richer, deeper, and a little more 3 dimensional. I would try the headphone with the ipod at first, and if you are happy, then don't worry about getting an amp. However, if you feel like you need juuuust a little bit more out of your music, a good amp will do just that.
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post #9 of 30
12/3/08 at 10:46pm
My Portaphile maxxed V2*2 has incredible synergy with both my 9's and 10's and falls right into that price range.

Cesar's products are underrated and he is a great guy to deal with.

Google Image Result for http://www.portaphile.com/BLACKPV2FRONT.JPG

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post #10 of 30
12/3/08 at 11:07pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by immtbiker View Post
My Portaphile maxxed V2*2 has incredible synergy with both my 9's and 10's and falls right into that price range.

Cesar's products are underrated and he is a great guy to deal with.
just doing a research on these now. from what i have found, it seems the battery doesnt last very long though. but a lot of people are happy with the sound
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post #11 of 30
12/3/08 at 11:33pm
As with all components, there are always tradeoffs and downsides. The Portaphile, especially running in Class A does have a battery life that is short, but this can be helped with quality rechargeable batteries or some Ultralifes.

The ESW's have incredible bass and detail, and these are the Portaphiles best assets.

That, and the price is very fair.
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post #12 of 30
12/3/08 at 11:57pm
Hi,

My ESW10 will be coming in mid of next week. It's taking awhile for my Local A.T head office to release them as they just shifted.

I have also paid for the Mustang P-51 four days ago which I believe should arrive latest next week too.

I will let you know how they sound before and after burn in once I get both.

Regards.
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post #13 of 30
12/4/08 at 12:09am
Quote:
Originally Posted by palestofwhite View Post
Hi,

My ESW10 will be coming in mid of next week. It's taking awhile for my Local A.T head office to release them as they just shifted.

I have also paid for the Mustang P-51 four days ago which I believe should arrive latest next week too.

I will let you know how they sound before and after burn in once I get both.

Regards.
that would be great!! I'm also in the same boat, still waiting for my ESW10, which should hopefully arrive early next week.
I'm really interested in the sound synergy with the Mustang P-51. I have reserved a pre-order as well and want to hear how they sound together before finalizing the purchase.

btw, anyone tried the ESW10 with Ibasso D3? they are around the $200 mark and have built in DAC as well.
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post #14 of 30
12/4/08 at 7:25pm
I pm'd HeadphoneAddict with the same question since he has more than a few portable amps and the ESW10. I think he might chime in later in this thread as well but here's what he said

"you could pass on to others that the ESW10 respond well to many portable amps and I have tried them with the Predator, Pico, iBasso D3, Nuforce Icon Mobile and iBasso D2 Boa - and that is the order than I like the amps with them, however they still sound good even with the lowest ranked amp although that is not the first amp I grab when I want to do more than casual listening."

good news is that ESW10's improve with portable amps..
bad news, get ready to pay those credit card bills!!
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post #15 of 30
12/6/08 at 8:35am
I got my ESW10s to use while travelling - beach house and hotels.

MacBookPro - Predator - ESW10.

These work well together.

Best Synergy? That will depend on your own ears I think. I feel lucky to get into the RSA gear before I spent too much elsewhere. Ray makes gear I like the sound of. Other opinions exist.
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