Bluetooth's kind of got an artificial ceiling to a certain extent, by the very nature of how audio's compressed and streamed... It's often not worth investing a lot on Bluetooth-only headphones IMO. You could get the A161P and use them straight off the iPad when convenient or when you was want to get the best of them and your audio, and then pair them with a clip-on BT receiver like the Sony MW600 when you wanna go wireless.

There's a thread or two on Head Fi discussing the MW600, the newer MW1, and other similar receivers from Samsung.

Hello & A Very Merry Christmas!
I really appreciate your reply and the very good advice.you are not the first person who as suggested this route to me.
 
Quote:

or could get the A161P and use them straight off the iPad when convenient or when you was want to get the best of them and your audio,

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Can they be wired directly in to the ipad not just via Bluetooth?
 
 
 
Quote:

and then pair them with a clip-on BT receiver like the Sony MW600 when you wanna go wireless

Click to expand...

I must admit to knowing very little about how all this technology works but I will eventually get there?so if I understand your above comment I use the A161Ps wired to ipad direct for top audio (or of course an alternative?) I am open to any and all suggestions.
 
How does the above BT receiver like Sony MW600 work?? please.
 
once again many thanks
regards Steve

Quote:

christobit said:

Hi Joker,
 
I own both Fisher Audio DBA-O2 mk2 and PFE 121.  I use them both with a JDS Labs O2 amp.  Source is Ipod Classic.  Material is mostly mp3 320 and above, and ALAC.
 
The DBA amazes with slightly better all round speed, and fast accurate bass.  It sounds aggressive - both mids and treble.  The PFE (with grey filters) is silky smooth in mids and treble, and its base a hair slower than the DBA.  I like the more analytical and aggressive sound of the DBA.
 
However, I am bothered by sibilance in the DBA which is completely absent in the PFE.  I have tried multiple tips (comply foam were surpsisingly not good at all).  Maybe it is due to some poorly mastered stuff which it doesn't tolerate, but it is quite bothersome, I need to use the EQ to tone it down.
 
The question is, would a RE-272 be a better option for my prefered sound signature ( paired with the O2 amp)?  I don't plan to move to a semi or fully balanced amp anytime soon.
 
Many thanks

Click to expand...

Etymotic triple flanges or shure grey flex tips may help to reduce/overcome your sibilance issues. My friend have bought a R-50 last week  and it was quite sibilant with original tips but when he changed to etymotic triple flanges, the sibilance was all gone. Another good option is to buy shure grey flex tips (PA758/EA410). They all tune down the treble region significantly.

ipadman said:

Hello & A Very Merry Christmas!
I really appreciate your reply and the very good advice.you are not the first person who as suggested this route to me.


Can they be wired directly in to the ipad not just via Bluetooth?



I must admit to knowing very little about how all this technology works but I will eventually get there?so if I understand your above comment I use the A161Ps wired to ipad direct for top audio (or of course an alternative?) I am open to any and all suggestions.

How does the above BT receiver like Sony MW600 work?? please.

once again many thanks
regards Steve

Click to expand...

Yeah the A161 would work best just connected to the iPad, but you can use them wirelessly by hooking them up to a BT dongle like the MW600 and then connecting the IPad thru Bluetooth to the MW600.

Quote:

ipadman said:

Hello
Really good of you to reply I know it was not exactly in tune with your superb thread but I really do need a lot of help to avoid the pitfalls of past mistakes!

 I only came across ATOMIC FLOYD a British company,I think both your good self and fellow members maybe interested in them they are very different,hope I am allowed to link to there web site?http://www.atomicfloyd.com/

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Definitely heard of the company, just haven't tried their products.  
 
 
Quote:

ipadman said:

I am not at all sure what the IPAD 4 is capable of music wise and just what I should add to make it rock?

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There's nothing worth adding for a $100 IEM. The iPad has decent audio hardware already and a cheap amp is just as likely to do nothing at all for you.
 
Quote:

ipadman said:

Very Good Advice most sensible,Not sure what to do about the higher end DAC & Higher End speaker amp? will take feedback and further suggestions on this,but the IPAD will be my only music source and I would like to get the best out of it I can musically,as I am sure you can understand.I have just started looking at some of these wired and bluetooth speakers like the well reviewed The Jawbone Jambox Range Speakers.

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You won't need anything extra to run a bluetooth speaker off an iPad but I've tried the Jambox and a lot of the other 1-piece bluetooth speakers and none of them sound as good as a decent entry-level ($200 or so) wired set. Of course the bluetooth ones have a size and weight advantage, are wireless, and are usually battery powered so it's not a fair fight, but on sound there is no comparison to a decent set of full-size or even compact desktop speakers. My current speaker setup ran me around $120 not including my mid-90s Sony CD player/100W receiver stack (probably worth very little today): <$20 for a very simple optical D/A converter and $100 for a pair of lightly used JBL 3-way floorstanders. It's decidedly Lo-Fi by speaker standards but it's leagues better than any set of wireless or store-bought 2.0/2.1 PC speakers I've ever heard. 
 
 
Quote:

impulse said:

Bluetooth's kind of got an artificial ceiling to a certain extent, by the very nature of how audio's compressed and streamed... It's often not worth investing a lot on Bluetooth-only headphones IMO. You could get the A161P and use them straight off the iPad when convenient or when you was want to get the best of them and your audio, and then pair them with a clip-on BT receiver like the Sony MW600 when you wanna go wireless.
There's a thread or two on Head Fi discussing the MW600, the newer MW1, and other similar receivers from Samsung.

Click to expand...

I am curious about the limit of APT-X with some of the more high-end BT sets. A lot of the older BT sets I've tried were truly horrific but I've heard a few in the past year that weren't too bad all. It would be interesting to see what can be done with APT-X and a pair of well-designed BT headphones with a decent onboard dac/amp.
 
 
The receiver is a good idea, though the benefit is limited because you're still stuck with the entire length of A161P cord. 

Hello Again joker
 
I really must thank you for a really superb set of answers and all are top class and very sensible propositions for me and others.I have always wondered about wireless speakers & Bluetooth even though I know little about the technology or if it works or not(generally) I basically parrot what I have read as I have little personal experience of Audio!
 
I am very sure wired speakers is the way to go really,you just confirmed this for me,I did own the Audio engine A5s and believe it or not I really did not like them

unlike most folk.
Not sure which speakers to look at as an alternative? No matter onwards to Earphones/Headphones
 
 
 
 
 

There's nothing worth adding for a $100 IEM. The iPad has decent audio hardware already and a cheap amp is just as likely to do nothing at all for you

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Excuse my slowness at times Joker,so a good pair of IEM $100 upwards is maybe best over adding a DAC/AMP?in which case I need to put togetgher a short list of maybe 5 or so really good Earphones and just for comparison a top 5 full size headphones which I suspect may require an Head amp~Am i correct?? striking the right balance cost wise as I suppose spending $250 upwards on phones for IPAD maybe overkill?some more advice welcome please.
 
I am like a kid in a candy/sweet shop!
 
very best wishes
and many,many thanks Steve

can threadstarter please do a review for panasonic HJE450-K?
 
thanks.

Quote:

ipadman said:

Excuse my slowness at times Joker,so a good pair of IEM $100 upwards is maybe best over adding a DAC/AMP?in which case I need to put togetgher a short list of maybe 5 or so really good Earphones and just for comparison a top 5 full size headphones which I suspect may require an Head amp~Am i correct?? striking the right balance cost wise as I suppose spending $250 upwards on phones for IPAD maybe overkill?some more advice welcome please.
 

Click to expand...

 
It's a generalization but yes, many full-size headphones will benefit from an amp more than most IEMs. As for the iPad, it's a solid multi-function device. I'm not an Apple user but I do love my tablet. If you need something just for music you can probably find a portable player that sounds better for less but it would be a different type of experience entirely.  
 
Quote:

pokpokgei said:

can threadstarter please do a review for panasonic HJE450-K?
 
thanks.

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Sorry, don't have one at this time.

Quote:

pokpokgei said:

can threadstarter please do a review for panasonic HJE450-K?
 
thanks.

Click to expand...

here's Clieos'
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/545188/review-panasonic-rp-hje450

Hello Joker
Once again many thanks for your most helpful answers ,really means a lot to me.I just have to put together a short list of say 6= 3 Earphones & 3 x Full size???
Really wish you and your family a very merry Christmas
 
best Wishes Steve

Hey guys, I'm looking for a new IEM. Trying to find the right one is overwhelming with all the info out there but I'm still doing my research. Just want to maybe get a quick opinion for my needs:
 
-Less than $200 ($230 tops)
-Listen to mostly electronic (a lot of energetic house/dance type stuff, trance, dubstep etc). Some rap/hip-hop, rock and pop.
-I want it to be one that is easily powered. So no amp required. (Preferably using a Sansa Clip.)
 
 
Thanks.
 
 
Edit: Oh and I was looking at the Dba-02 mkII and saw that it had great sound quality at a great price. Then I researched it and saw that it probably wouldn't be most suitable for electronic. I guess I'm just really interested in great sound quality, but have very little experience with IEMs and wouldn't know if less sound quality, but with a more fun sound is what I'm really looking for. Would you say I should avoid Dba-02 mkII?

UE700? Same TWFK that you've scored 9+ for a few earphones. If that's the case as well with the UE700 that would mean you score them higher sonically than the TF10.

Quote:

ryan1411 said:

Hey guys, I'm looking for a new IEM. Trying to find the right one is overwhelming with all the info out there but I'm still doing my research. Just want to maybe get a quick opinion for my needs:
 
-Less than $200 ($230 tops)
-Listen to mostly electronic (a lot of energetic house/dance type stuff, trance, dubstep etc). Some rap/hip-hop, rock and pop.
-I want it to be one that is easily powered. So no amp required. (Preferably using a Sansa Clip.)
 
 
Thanks.
 
 
Edit: Oh and I was looking at the Dba-02 mkII and saw that it had great sound quality at a great price. Then I researched it and saw that it probably wouldn't be most suitable for electronic. I guess I'm just really interested in great sound quality, but have very little experience with IEMs and wouldn't know if less sound quality, but with a more fun sound is what I'm really looking for. Would you say I should avoid Dba-02 mkII?

Click to expand...

 
You'd probably want something with enhanced bass - the EPH-100 and JVC FXT90 are good entry-level choices. Very efficient, less than $150 in cost, fun-sounding. 
 
Quote:

selenium said:

UE700? Same TWFK that you've scored 9+ for a few earphones. If that's the case as well with the UE700 that would mean you score them higher sonically than the TF10.

Click to expand...

Actually the original UE700 reminded me most of the tuning of the Phiaton PS200 (also TWFK), which didn't do so hot. The logitech version is a little better, though.

 

Multi-IEM Review - 267 IEMs compared (FitEar To Go! 334 added 12/16/12) Selenium replied to this thread on December 23, 8:29 pm Quote: Originally Posted by ipadman  Hello Joker Once again many thanks for your most helpful answers ,really means a lot to me.I just have to put together a short list of say 6= 3 Earphones & 3 x Full size??? Really wish you and your family a very merry Christmas best Wishes Steve Please shut up.

 
 

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Can you please explain what the above comment meant?and more to the point why?

Quote:

pokpokgei said:

can threadstarter please do a review for panasonic HJE450-K?
 
thanks.

Click to expand...

 

zelda said:

here's Clieos'
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/545188/review-panasonic-rp-hje450
 

Click to expand...

 
i've seen clieOS's review but i suspect the HJE450-K is a super underrated earphone i wish for another expert to review it and post honest opinions that are unaffected by it's price category

i've seen ranking elsewhere on the web that ranks the HJE450 higher than HJE900 in terms of overall performance (higher being better) so i just want to know better. 

perhaps if possible, can the threadstarter review the JBL J33i or J33, they look promising at $80 with that built-in bend before the wires enter the driver to reduce microphonics.