I haven't found TF10's to be very picky.  They sound great with my Cowon J3 and I imagine they'd sound just as good with any other Cowon player.  They're fine with ipods and just about any other player as well.

as for amps i found the fiio5 to degrade the sound quality of the TF10's. worked magic on my SF5's tho.

I'm finding that there is significant benefit to driving the TF10s with a quality amplifier.  While they don't need an amp to get loud, they do need one to sound anything like their best.  Driven by my iPods/iPhones, I would agree with the standard TF10 weakness assessments, but I've been using an RSA Hornet and an iBasso P3+, and both sound amazing.  My Nuforce Icon Mobile just plays them louder without distortion, but with no significant sound quality gains over the iPod/iPhone HP out.  Both the RSA and iBasso amps bring the "recessed mids" forward and now I don't hear the TF10 "V" as much, they sound very balanced, if still a touch warm.  The RSA is slightly more quiet  with better microdynamics and more air around the individual instruments, but I prefer to leave that set up for my AKG 702s and run the P3+ with the TF10s.  

I got a D12 after having my TF10s for almost a year.  I was using a Zune and a Clip so I didn't have LO, but I didn't notice enough of an improvement to justify carrying the extra equipment.  Barely noticed it except at home where it was nice and quiet.  Also, the interference from other people's cellphones (picked up by the D12) definitely bothered me.  When I got to use it as a DAC and amp, though, there was a very nice improvement.

If you want to adjust the sound, adjusting the EQ is a lot cheaper than a flavored amp to "bring out the mids" "tame the bass" or whatever complaint people have about the TF10s.  But then, head-fi probably wouldn't exist if that solution satisfied most of us, eh?

Yeah, thus far in my many years of being an audio wing nut, I've never found EQ to be a satisfactory solution to anything.  At the behest of another HFier though, I am trying some new iPod/iPhone EQs now; we'll see.

Anyhow, I wouldn't really say that I'm trying to bring out the dramatically recessed mid of the TF10 by pairing it with amps that push the mids forward, because I don't think that either the Hornet or the P3+ actually do that, maybe the P3+ does just a wee bit.  I guess I'm saying that I think the TF10s are good enough that they (at least partially) show you how V shaped your source/amp is.  That's not to say that TF10s are neutral, they're not.  I've just heard them be much more neutral with quality amplification, so maybe they're not as V shaped as everyone assumes, maybe some of that V we hear when amped via iPod/iPhone is just poor amplification.  You can never be sure in this hobby.  Though I'm a purist at heart, I believe strongly in component "synergies."  

My TF10s sound pretty good with my Cowon O2

Quote:

Originally Posted by NewAKGGuy 

Yeah, thus far in my many years of being an audio wing nut, I've never found EQ to be a satisfactory solution to anything.  At the behest of another HFier though, I am trying some new iPod/iPhone EQs now; we'll see.

 

Anyhow, I wouldn't really say that I'm trying to bring out the dramatically recessed mid of the TF10 by pairing it with amps that push the mids forward, because I don't think that either the Hornet or the P3+ actually do that, maybe the P3+ does just a wee bit.  I guess I'm saying that I think the TF10s are good enough that they (at least partially) show you how V shaped your source/amp is.  That's not to say that TF10s are neutral, they're not.  I've just heard them be much more neutral with quality amplification, so maybe they're not as V shaped as everyone assumes, maybe some of that V we hear when amped via iPod/iPhone is just poor amplification.  You can never be sure in this hobby.  Though I'm a purist at heart, I believe strongly in component "synergies."  

 

Yeah But Ipod Eq';s Are horrendous to start your dabbling in EQ

Quote:

Originally Posted by Freefallr4545 

Yeah But Ipod Eq';s Are horrendous to start your dabbling in EQ

 

Yeah, not all EQs are created equal.  I've never found anything that used presets that was satisfying (Ipods only have presets still, right? Haven't had one in a while). 

Also, In all fairness, in addition to certain EQs having more of an impact than others, amps will have more of an impact with some phones, less with others.  I just that felt the TF10s fell into the latter set, though I am limited to just my experiences with the D12.  Never plugged them into anything else, and, sadly, they are gone now.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Murmaider 

as for amps i found the fiio5 to degrade the sound quality of the TF10's. worked magic on my SF5's tho.

 

 

Interesting. With the bass boost off, I found that it helped improve the midrange of the TF10. When my UM3X arrive, I'll try them with the E5 as well.

I've found with my TF10 that seal is more important for good SQ than the presence/absence of an amp. I recently bought some Monster supertips and all of a sudden the fit is much more snug, the seal is better and the sound I'm getting out of them has more body and clarity, through a Sansa Clip. 

Still thinking about getting them reshelled and upgraded though 

Forgot to mention, they also sound great straight out of an iPod or a Sansa Clip+ (those being the only two portable players I own)

Quote:

Originally Posted by phntmsmshr 

I've found with my TF10 that seal is more important for good SQ than the presence/absence of an amp. I recently bought some Monster supertips and all of a sudden the fit is much more snug, the seal is better and the sound I'm getting out of them has more body and clarity, through a Sansa Clip. 

 

Still thinking about getting them reshelled and upgraded though 

sigh That's ultimately why I got rid of mine. I could never get them to fit. Let's hope I have better luck with the UM3X.

TF10 sound great with many apple product. Being using it with my classic and touch, it work out very well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by phntmsmshr 

I've found with my TF10 that seal is more important for good SQ than the presence/absence of an amp. I recently bought some Monster supertips and all of a sudden the fit is much more snug, the seal is better and the sound I'm getting out of them has more body and clarity, through a Sansa Clip. 

 

Still thinking about getting them reshelled and upgraded though 

I agree wholeheartedly that the tips and seal are crucial on the TF10.  I've always had fit issues with all of my older UEs (SF5Pro, SF5EB, and TF10) until I was given some of the standard silicone monster tips.  They worked magic for me in terms of both comfort and seal.  I liked them better than the supertips, but that might have been a sizing issue.  For some reason the medium gel supertips are too large for me, but the medium silicone standards are just right.  SQ was improved significantly with the better tips (for me) and seal, but adding the good amps made for a much bigger improvement in SQ.  Night and day really.

As for EQ, I spent Sunday playing around with the EQu and Equalizer apps for iPhone and they do exactly what I would expect a half decent EQ to do in that they give the user a tool to modify the frequency response of his/her entire setup, which is an interesting diversion, but does not really improve SQ in my view.  More or less bass, mids, or treble can certainly "smooth over" poor recordings or even ameliorate gross deficiencies in an IEMs frequency response curve, but for me these adjustments don't really amount to an improvement in SQ.  For me SQ is the sum of those elements that make the playback sound real, that make me turn my head to the left to see the palmista who shouts "Allez" (or it's Spanish equivalent) 42 seconds into Estrella Morente"s Bulerias de la Bolla on "Mi Cante y Un Poema."  Assuming that you are starting with a decent recording and playing it back through a decent rig, EQ never helps bring that moment alive in my experience and usually dulls that moment anywhere from just a smidgen (on the best and most expensive EQ) to massively (on Apple stock EQ).  Good amplification on the other hand makes the TF10 go from painting the cry in starkish relief (via iPod/iPhone HP out) to actually making me turn my head to look for the palmista (via RSA Hornet).