[Audiowood]

I have SE535 and was wondering if you all are using Objective DAC/O2 Amp combo at unity gain setting with SE846.  There is no source quite like it, it is transparent.  What is crazy is that I've compared with other DACs, and I can hear O2 outputting better sound sourced from Objective DAC.  Didn't know you can actually hear a difference with DACs.  Do you guys know of a portable DAC/Amp that can be up to that level of transparency?  

try dacport 1 ohm mode. .

 

[Spyro]

In a month Spyro your holy grail will be released, the Westone W60, and I am sure you will be telling us all how it is far superior to the SE846.

 
LOL....Not happening.   Simply not in the budget although I would expect it to be more musical and fun than the UM50.  I'd love to check out the 846 and think I would really like it.  I am suspecting the added bass would take a bit of focus off the overly forward midrange of the SE535 that I don't like.
 
Actually, spook, I should have a set of W40's by Thursday and I'm gonna tell you how they crap all over the W4R's (brighter, improved clarity, wider soundstage) and that they are the holy grail sweetspot in price to performance against all the IEM that were ever made in captivity.

 

[spook76]

LOL....Not happening.   Simply not in the budget although I would expect it to be more musical and fun than the UM50.  I'd love to check out the 846 and think I would really like it.  I am suspecting the added bass would take a bit of focus off the overly forward midrange of the SE535 that I don't like.

Actually, spook, I should have a set of W40's by Thursday and I'm gonna tell you how they crap all over the W4R's (brighter, improved clarity, wider soundstage) and that they are the holy grail sweetspot in price to performance against all the IEM that were ever made in captivity.

Spyro that is great congratulations on the W40. I did not know the sound had changed from the old and well respected W4r. I thought the changes were most cosmetic.

 

[Solude]

At this price there is no better or worse just different.

 
Oh wouldn't that be nice.  There are plenty of bloody terrible headphones in this price range.  Thankfully there are also a handful of good ones =)

 

[Solude]

 I thought the changes were most cosmetic.

 
Not mostly, entirely.

 

[Solude]

  I am suspecting the added bass would take a bit of focus off the overly forward midrange of the SE535 that I don't like.

 
Ya a 7dB boost to the bass region tends to shift the tonal balance some

 

[Spyro]

   
Not mostly, entirely.

The W-series products are apparently being built by a different manufacturer in China.  Many confirmed reports of improved performance by posters here, the folks at EarphoneSolutions as well as a confirmation from a Westone rep (Cody).
 
Instead of lead solder on the pc boards they are reportedly using snake oil instead.

 

[Solude]

Snake oil is a strong force around here

 

[spook76]

The AKG and Senn have limitations and both have that boring old build. I believe the 846 can get pretty high and its meds are much better. Also the 846 has the bass.

Limitations is putting it politely. Both the AKG 3003 and the Senn ie800 have proprietary eartips so if you cannot find a good fit from the included ones you are sh@t out of luck. Also, neither have removable cables so a balanced set up is out and if the cable breaks you are dead in the water.

 

[Whazzzup]

I'm a bass head sooooo. 846 works for me.

 

[zolom]

I'm a bass head sooooo. 846 works for me.

A word of Good

 

[BobJS]

I'm NOT a basshead (i.e. prefer gr07 mki to gr07 mkii BE), and the 846 still works for me.  I enjoy the deep bass, but don't appreciate it leaking into the higher frequencies.  I AM going to give the Senn IE800 a spin though, just out of curiousity

 

[truckdriver]

I do consider myself a basshead who listens to bass heavy music. I can't call the 846 a “basshead IEM”. I think of basshead as high SPLs across the bass region (including and especially the mid-bass) with hard bass drum hits. I think of the IE8 (maxed out) and the Monster line as basshead stuff (of the IEMs that I've heard).
 
I would call the 846 sub-bass capable (others say; "bass when the music calls for it").  It's like a mild (non-fatiguing) reproduction of the kind of bass that would shake books off the bookshelf. I was listening to a line of sub-bass notes as they dropped deep and the 535 had a point where some of the higher sub-bass notes sounded really loud and the deeper it went the softer the note. There was clearly a hump and drop off with the 535. The 846 played all the notes at a linear volume level. It seems to do what it does without effort or strain.

 

[Audiowood]

  I do consider myself a basshead who listens to bass heavy music. I can't call the 846 a “basshead IEM”. I think of basshead as high SPLs across the bass region (including and especially the mid-bass) with hard bass drum hits. I think of the IE8 (maxed out) and the Monster line as basshead stuff (of the IEMs that I've heard).
 
I would call the 846 sub-bass capable (others say; "bass when the music calls for it").  It's like a mild (non-fatiguing) reproduction of the kind of bass that would shake books off the bookshelf. I was listening to a line of sub-bass notes as they dropped deep and the 535 had a point where some of the higher sub-bass notes sounded really loud and the deeper it went the softer the note. There was clearly a hump and drop off with the 535. The 846 played all the notes at a linear volume level. It seems to do what it does without effort or strain.

 
Well said, I wouldn't describe it any better.. 
 
This is what I came to love about sub woofer, the 846 is unique in a way that it does not boost the mid bass to be bass heavy, in fact I think the mid bass is even less than Tralucent 1p2 but the sub bass rumble softly in the back ground making it sound very nice. If one had heard the old Denon D5000/7000 series, the 846 would have that kind of quality (not exactly the same but similar typed).
 
I sometimes get a little shock with some tracks that has no bass presence in the beginning and then I thought "crab, the bass driver must have been crab out" , and then all of a sudden from no where, Booomm.. I smile with great delight!..

 

[Whazzzup]

like th900 the 846 makes my hair stand up on the back of my neck on the low low end, Im an electronic guy but even daniel lanois "harry" can make my spine feel like its reaching down and vibrating it. That to me is job well done