Quote:
Originally Posted by
rrahman 
Hey project86
Would you recommend the merlin if I was to never use an amp and strictly use it out of my iphone? Or would that handicap make another IEM (eg 1964Q) better value?
The Merlin still sounds quite good just from a basic player or phone. You do get at least some glimpse of the quality that it has. I think the biggest thing holding you back in most situations is going to be background noise rather than source/amping. This is partially true even for other customs that isolate very well.
When people talk about using just an iPhone or something, I never know what exactly we are referring to. Is this a commute situation where they will be used on a bus for an hour a day in each direction? If so, my personal opinion is that you are not really doing much critical listening. You might as well get a lower model. But if that system is for something like using in an office, where you are much more focused on the music and the background (both audible and visual) is less distracting, then the higher end customs make perfect sense.
