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Looking for a critique on my (first/future) portable rig

post #1 of 9
12/2/12 at 4:54am
Thread Starter 

Hello everyone, I am new to the forums (even though I've been lurking for a long time now) and I've seen a lot of people pairing the Sansa clip +/zip, with the Fiios e11. I currently own a pair of Monoprice 8323's and I was wondering if these 20 dollar headphones would serve me well. My only complaint about the Monoprice headphones is that they are a bit cumbersome to carry around, and I was wondering if there were any recommendations for an IEMs that would compliment this humble little setup. I am unable to hear any differences when listening to mp3ornot.com and it makes me a little hesitant to take the plunge into the world of hi-fi, my body nor my wallet is ready. I am not sure if my failure to notice the differences is due to my set up, or because of my lack of knowledge in what to listen for. I am also concerned about cable quality, will buying a better cable to connect the Sansa Clip to the Fiios E11 or the cable that connects the Fiios E11 to my Monoprice significantly affect sound quality? Finally, as an alternative to buying new IEMs, I was considering buying  http://www.turtlebeach.com/product-detail/ear-cushions-parts/x31-dx11-x11-ear-cushion/275 to replace my stock ear pads. Would it be worth it, or should I just try to find a better set of headphones? The prospect of purchasing the rig and keeping my Monoprice makes me feel like I'm putting 600 dollar rims on a 500 dollar car.

 

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I look forward to reading all your recommendations.

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post #2 of 9
12/2/12 at 6:38am

That is an excellent pairing with the 8323's :)

1000

 

I have a pair of Koss Porta Pro's coming to made this little rig more "Portable" :D

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post #3 of 9
12/2/12 at 7:22am

I'm not sure if the Monoprice really needs an amp... I'd certainly save the money and go for a better headphone. $100 amp + monoprice < $100 headphone for sure. Also, high quality interconnect cables usually don't affect sound quality too much, in my experience, but the added durability sure helps.

 

Don't worry, it took me ages to be able to differentiate between 128 and 320. Often its more to do with knowing what to listen to than a significant reduction in sound quality. You need decent gear too (at least something with good control and extension). Some songs do sound noticeably bad in 128 though.

 

Edit: If you're addicted to the monoprice sound signature then sure.. why not?

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post #4 of 9
12/2/12 at 12:01pm
Thread Starter 

Thanks guys. I'm going to go ahead and pull the trigger on this. I for see myself upgrading my head phones in the future... I was thinking of the MEE161P. I guess I'll just need to keep an eye out for a deal on some nice IEMs.

 

*EDIT* Found some HiFi Man RE-0 and I think I'm going to try those out.

*EDIT 2* I forgot I had an old iPod. Would using that with an LOD and the HiFi Man Re-0 be a better set up?


Edited by lotusblade - 12/2/12 at 12:48pm
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post #5 of 9
12/2/12 at 7:21pm

Honestly the Clip/E11 is a very nice setup until you want to spend about 3x the dough. You really aren't missing much with it at all, the only more affordable upgrade may be a DIYmod if you can do it, but then again that would add a lot of bulk, as well as making it not drop-safe, Rockbox the clip, and enjoy :)

 

 

As far as headphones go, what are your music preferences? Do you need isolation? I would suggest the KSC75 with a headband, but they are open, so they may not be the best choice for you, but for ~$20 shipped for it I would say it's a must have. As far as IEMs go, if you like the Monoprice I would probably be safe in saying you won't like the RE-0. I had a brief stint with them, and just found them to be brittle sounding. If your budget is ~$100, I would say the Shure 215 or 215LE would be a good idea. Also if you haven't been here long, the Sony MH1C is [apparently] a HUGE hit among the folks around here. If you bump your budget in IEMs up a little you also have some gems such as Vsonic GR07, Yamaha EPH100, Rockit Sounds R-50, and Hifiman RE262. I'll let you research on those. If you want portables that have isolation, go for the JVC S400 or S500. I've personally heard the S400 and thought they were pretty good. The S500 is supposed to be better.

 

 

P.S.- Welcome to Head-fi, sorry about your wallet :)

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post #6 of 9
12/2/12 at 8:08pm
Thread Starter 

I went ahead and bought just the E11 and the LOD and use my iPod to keep the cost down. Hopefully the SQ won't be affected, I read that rockboxing your iPod kills the battery life. I am in the process of upgrading my music collection; I'm ripping them to a loss less format. I've been able to notice some subtle differences in my music so I'm looking forward to listening my music with the E11. I'll be sure to read up on these if I feel that my Monoprice head seat isn't doing my rig justice.

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post #7 of 9
12/2/12 at 8:29pm

Excellent!

I have a nano 2nd and 3rd generation that I LOD into my E11, I'm sure you'll like it.

700

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post #8 of 9
12/2/12 at 9:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by TrollDragon View Post

Excellent!

I have a nano 2nd and 3rd generation that I LOD into my E11, I'm sure you'll like it.

 

I have a 5.5G 80GB and a 32GB CF-mod Mini coming, and I plan to LOD them into my E11. Should go nicely with the HFI-780. L3000.gif

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post #9 of 9
12/2/12 at 9:17pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Achmedisdead View Post

I have a 5.5G 80GB and a 32GB CF-mod Mini coming, and I plan to LOD them into my E11. Should go nicely with the HFI-780. L3000.gif


Prime! Those are going to sound sweet on the HFI-780's! biggrin.gif

 

I'm just going to have to get me a 160GB Classic one of these days, the old 8GB Nano's do not see much action since the Clip+ came along.

The 3rd Gen lives inside the tune tray of my Sony car deck for audio books mostly.

beerchug.gif

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