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Colorfly C3 Appreciation and Discussion Thread - Page 34

post #496 of 1303
2/5/13 at 4:55am

H20, i appreciate your kind help, thanks again.

 

problem is that defekt Senns were bought in a shop and this shop does not carry SoundMagic in their program, actually choice there is limited. also the shop gives a replacement certificate and not money. so i need to choose from the selection they have. best in not pricey category are CX880 and Monsters N-credible Nergy... i loved CX880 but was not possible to test Monsters by side... so i placed an inquiry. in my town problem is many shops refuse to unpack and allow you to try IEMs... they say for hygienic reason :-(

 

yes, in Europe there is no shopping paradise unlike in Asia or America... Europe is different in this and very much so :-(

 

remember, this is my daughter, and she is young kid who craves for more bass all the time.... as a matter of fact i do not want to damage her ears with too much bass but i do not want spend fortune. besides she did not like my Shure or MF IEMs... while she loves her Klipsch and Senns.

 

anyway, it looks CX 880 will be a better way to go, i read Monsters have way too much low quality woofy bass... not worth damaging ears.

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post #497 of 1303
2/5/13 at 5:41am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gintaras View Post

PS: i know this is C3 thread but i believe your knowledge extends beyond one brand name wink.gif

 

Is this comment for me? If so then you are totally wrong my friend. I have several daps including Meizu M6, Cube C30, Philips GoGear Muse, Ipod 5g and HM-601, Sony x1060, clip+ and clip. Do you think it is enough to judge? This is not only appreciation but also discussion thread, right?

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post #498 of 1303
2/5/13 at 6:04am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ozkan View Post

 

Is this comment for me? If so then you are totally wrong my friend. I have several daps including Meizu M6, Cube C30, Philips GoGear Muse, Ipod 5g and HM-601, Sony x1060, clip+ and clip. Do you think it is enough to judge? This is not only appreciation but also discussion thread, right?

 

my comment was not for you but for everyone. i was asking about two different IEMs and i humbly and politely said it that i believe our forum members have good knowledge not only of C3 but other products too since people change their DAPs and IEMs from time to time. scroll to my postings askjng about CX880 and Monster Nergy and see the following ones in connection with them, this will clear your misunderstanding.

 

now please, stop looking for quarrel where no one intends to have one but if you have something tangible to say then say it. if not then remember sometimes silence is gold. sorry for putting it straight forward. we are not disputing personalities but we dispute particular products, so please refrain from getting personal and taking things personal. and i humbly apologise.

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post #499 of 1303
2/5/13 at 6:08am

Ozkan, and if you had Sennheiser CX880 or Monster Nergy IEMs i would be interested to hear your impressions about their sonic virtues since I never personally used them for myself but my daughter will be using one of this.

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post #500 of 1303
2/5/13 at 12:51pm
Warning... Non audiophile evaluation here...
 
Colorfly C3 (Normal EQ setting, Vol 35/40 used for output to Amp)
 
beyerdynamic DT880 Pro 250 Ω
Ultrasone HFI-780 35 Ω
Koss Porta Pro Classic 60 Ω
 
FiiO E11 (Power High, Gain High, Bass EQ 1)
FiiO E17 (Gain 12db, Treble 0, Bass 0)
DIY 3.5mm IC
 
Wow, after wearing the DT880 for a while now the 780's felt hard and uncomfortable, but only for a little bit, just until the Bass kicked in.
 
The C3 has enough power to drive two of the three headphones from the HP out jack properly.
The Porta Pro's & 780's ran nicely with a volume between 20-30/40 and were driven quite easily, the 880's on the other hand had to be run at 40/40 on some tracks for a moderate listening level, obviously the C3 isn't meant to drive high impedance headphones.
 
FiiO E11
The E11 provides a very nice level of amplification when using low ohm cans. I usually run it with Bass Boost either set to 0 or 1 depending on the music, also the volume will rarely go past 4/10 when driving the 780's or Porta Pro's from the C3.
 
Now the the DT880's are another story, they require a 8/10 setting to get a good listening volume, this also will depend greatly on the level of the source track used.
 
I find the E11 very flat so sound isn't altered unless you add Bass Boost to the equation.
 
FiiO E17
Now the E17 is a great little unit a best bang for your buck kind of DAC, I mainly use it docked to my E09k driven by my computer.
 
I feel this unit also pairs very nicely when connected to the C3. It has more power that the E11, I only have to run the DT800's between 45-50/60 for a very adequate volume. The separate Bass and Treble controls gives a nice little control over the C3's sound. When connected to the DT880's I usually apply Bass +4 / Treble -2 to the Normal EQ setting on the C3.
 
If you don't need the E17's DAC capability then I would pass on it and look into possibly the C&C BH or C&C XO2 amplifiers. There is a good thread here on Head-Fi and a large following for the C&C Amp.
 
All the equipment listed can be found with Full Analytical Review in various places here on Head-Fi if you need Soundstage, Imaging, Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release, Dark vs Light factors etc... 
 
Songs and Tracks tested:
 
Folk / Worldbeat
Paul Simon - Graceland: 25th Anniversary Edition
5. Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes
10. That Was Your Mother
 
Bass
Infected Mushroom – Legend of the Black Shawarma
2. Saeed
3. End of the Road
 
Orchestra
TRON - Legacy Soundtrack
10. Adagio for Tron
 
Well that is my take on the C3 / FiiO paring... Crisp and Clean with plenty of Bass when required.
 
When I have building maintenance to do, I put Infected Mushroom on the C3 with Bass EQ and E11 Bass +1 through the Ultrasones... it gives me all the ear vibrations I need. :D
 
My 3.5mm to 3.5mm IC
Is a 2” DIY cable with gold plated ends (repurposed from another cable) and wooden shells, regular copper wire as I am not a believer that silver, gold, unobtanium or Mongolian yak hair makes any difference in a 2” cable.
 
C3 is a $100 DAP and it does a great job, it has a few little quirks but they are easily overlooked.
E11 is a great little $60 Amp for lower ohm cans, that provides an nice Bass Boost if you want. 
E17 is a $150 portable Amp / DAC that does 24/192 resolution, more inputs than you can use and docking capability.
 
Are there better? Yes Indeed, there will always be better. 
beerchug.gif
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post #501 of 1303
2/5/13 at 11:53pm

Toll, thanks, interesting review. what about sonic test between E11 and E17? was there audible difference or this is only about specs?

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post #502 of 1303
2/6/13 at 1:51am
Quote:
Originally Posted by icefalkon View Post

I have an iMod and the C3 and I absolutely can tell the difference. I've compared them all weekend and so far the C3 edges out the iMod by a little bit. Being the cost of the iMod, and the size of the unit plus an amp attached. The C3 wins for sound. Now for ease of access, the iMod obviously wins..ie: playlists, RockBox, etc. 

This thing cost $80 USD...can't beat that with a stick for the sound it puts out! I'm also going to be getting a FiiO X3 in April regardless. The C&C Amp isn't going to be in NYC until the end of Feb...so I've got a long wait for the damn thing. But so far I'm digging this little unit!

Have you blind tested it yet? That would give us the true answer. I am beginning to become highly suspicious of my gut reaction to noticing differences in sound quality. There COULD be a small difference in the sound coming from the headphone out of the c3 as opposed to the imod.
I have stopped listening to the imod through the amp...it sounds fine through the top. The c3 sounds great too will blind test shortly to tell you if I truly can hear any difference.
Only thing is my hd800s don't go loud enough on the c3 and they do on my imod (which is being used as an ipod)
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post #503 of 1303
2/6/13 at 1:57am
Thanks very much for that TrollDragon. smile.gif The time you spent writing that up is appreciated.

@~ Takeanidea: When you do the blind test, I suggest listening for C3's separation, which should be above the iPod levels and give it away easily.
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post #504 of 1303
2/6/13 at 1:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gintaras View Post

H20, i appreciate your kind help, thanks again.

problem is that defekt Senns were bought in a shop and this shop does not carry SoundMagic in their program, actually choice there is limited. also the shop gives a replacement certificate and not money. so i need to choose from the selection they have. best in not pricey category are CX880 and Monsters N-credible Nergy... i loved CX880 but was not possible to test Monsters by side... so i placed an inquiry. in my town problem is many shops refuse to unpack and allow you to try IEMs... they say for hygienic reason :-(

yes, in Europe there is no shopping paradise unlike in Asia or America... Europe is different in this and very much so :-(

remember, this is my daughter, and she is young kid who craves for more bass all the time.... as a matter of fact i do not want to damage her ears with too much bass but i do not want spend fortune. besides she did not like my Shure or MF IEMs... while she loves her Klipsch and Senns.

anyway, it looks CX 880 will be a better way to go, i read Monsters have way too much low quality woofy bass... not worth damaging ears.

Monster gratitude is a good set of iems. Bass. Looks. Clarity. Accessories. And you don't need to adjust the eq. Which sounds awful in my opinion.
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post #505 of 1303
2/6/13 at 3:38am
Quote:
Originally Posted by icefalkon View Post

I wasn't sure how my Heir Audio 4Ai's would sound with the C3...and let me tell you...they sound GREAT! I also just tried my Westone UM3X reshelled into CIEM's and they too sound great..though not as good as the Heir Audio's. I have absolutely no issues with bass and mids...lol...I don't see where that's coming from. Even un-amped this little bugger sounds great. 

I also re-ripped Dark Side of the Moon and added the cue sheet and it's flawless. Every little nuance of the album is presented in great detail. I'm looking into throwing on the Wall next.

I love The Wall. Have you got "is there anybody out There" . That's pink floyd with roger waters live at Earls Court. Great stuff. Through the klipsch x10is or your favourites it'll sound great
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post #506 of 1303
2/6/13 at 3:46am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ozkan View Post

I also use it with RE0 but I don't think it is a good match. C3 doesn't get loud with RE0 even at maximum volume. Please do not hype it. C3 is all about hype nothing less. My Cube C30 even sounds better and powerfull than C3. Fair enough!

Thanks for your comment. I reckon you probably make a valid point. An appreciation thread tends to get the superlatives out.
But is your cube30 any better sounding or can it simply drive bigger headphones?
Loud doesn't necessarily represent better sound quality. Or is there any difference in sq in an iem through either yhe c3 or this cube30 s headphone out?
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post #507 of 1303
2/6/13 at 4:26am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Takeanidea View Post


Thanks for your comment. I reckon you probably make a valid point. An appreciation thread tends to get the superlatives out.
But is your cube30 any better sounding or can it simply drive bigger headphones?
Loud doesn't necessarily represent better sound quality. Or is there any difference in sq in an iem through either yhe c3 or this cube30 s headphone out?

Cube C30 is louder and has better sound quality to my ears. It is about 1,5 times louder than the C3 imo. Yes, there is a significant sound quality difference through headphone out over C3. Btw I haven't tested them through any amp and though C30 does not need an amp. It can easily drive my iems.

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post #508 of 1303
2/6/13 at 4:49am

Takeanidea, wow... what a nick :-)

 

frankly speaking on good equipment even small sound improvements are audible. for instance, take power cables for high-end. many people are laughing us audiophiles for spending money on expensive power cables for amplifiers, players and etc... BUT... i was sceptical UNTIL i got to audition five different cables at home on my amplifier... do you know what was the result? even my wife, who is not music crazy like i, even she could hear subtle but audible differences... and with one cable differences were pretty audible, needless to say that cable stayed at my home :-)

 

coming to C3, you know this is difficult call, Colorfly is not easy player and IEM matching matters more than with Cowon.

so IEM matching with C3 will be important issue you have to research. second you do not know IF your IEMs need amping on C3 to achieve top performance. i believe C3 with BA IEMs needs amping... however Shure se215 gives fairly good result UNamped... still i for the most prefer balanced armature for which i believe C3 needs amping... it is not about Ohms but about something else. my musical fidelity IEMs are easy to drive but on C3 they will sound thin and clinical IF unamped.

 

from my experience i can easily tell even blindfolded IF this is C3 or S9 playing... C3 sounds better to me than S9. i do not expect miracles from C3 and yesterday after having played Stella CD from Yello on my hifi rig i could not switch back to C3 for the day... it is just so live and acoustically correct playback i have with my hifi that no player or headphone can match. i literally can feel the air moving to and back and notes having incredible air around them... something i never could achieve on DAP. that said to me C3 plays music very well and perhaps i have not heard anything better except for higher end DAPs which cost hundreds dollars... i wish i could convince myself in Altmann player but 800 euros without screen and only four buttons make me suspicious... and paying such amount of money without audition possibility is beyond me. this is why i hopefully wait for X3 from Fiio.


Edited by Gintaras - 2/6/13 at 4:51am
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post #509 of 1303
2/6/13 at 4:58am

what is true however and here i can agree with Ozkan is that IF unamped a volume clock on C3 must stay above 30, for IEMs i tried this was a valid rule. i also believe when you use consumer sounding IEMs you gain sweetness and bass but you sacrifice stage, details and clarity. this is why i changed from Shure se215 to Musical Fidelity EB50 on my C3... shure is very pleasing sounding IEM but gosh... when i plug in EB50 and amp them with Digizoid i realise how much i was missing in sound department. this makes me believe that a pair of good BA IEMs with amped C3 can truly excell in sound. but as i said before, carefully picking your IEMs for C3 is a must, otherwise you may be disappointed.

 

NB: everything IMHO

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post #510 of 1303
2/6/13 at 5:04am

Ozkan, if i may ask what music genre you listen for the most on your C3? and also have you tried different IEMs with C3. many people like Phonak IEMs but living not far from Swiss and knowing sound approach of Swiss equipment makers i suspect that Phonaks might be not a good match on C3. FYI Swiss high-end approach is very much about analytical, cold and very refined sound. check out reviews for Goldmund amplifiers or Weiss DAC. i would not be surprised if your Phonak inherits that traditional sound signature of Swiss makers, really, no joke. :-)

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